Dealing with employee unplanned days off—whether for unexpected doctor appointments, lack of childcare, or other life events—is a challenging issue for many shop owners.

While some owners, seeking to reduce staff turnover, may err on the side of too much leniency, others risk driving away good employees by making them feel bad for a situation [they] couldn’t help. The key is finding balance between caring for people and maintaining a structured, high-performing business.

This is a difficult process but rewarding in the long run for everyone. Here are a few suggestions that came out of a discussion with some of our clients.

Establish Clear Boundaries and Expectations

A foundational step in managing attendance is implementing clear policies and boundaries.

Implement an Employee Handbook: Shops should have an employee handbook that outlines attendance expectations, policies on personal days, vacations, unplanned days off, and the follow-up procedures for delinquent employees.

Communicate Expectations: Clearly communicate your expectations to employees, making sure you follow the employment standards in your area. Let them know that poor performance or unexcused absences are unacceptable and that you will be documenting their absence, along with the consequences.

Set the Standard: Employees, like children, thrive better with structure. Good employees want to work for a boss who holds everyone accountable, including themselves. If an employee continually fails to meet the standard, a hard conversation may be necessary.

Foster a Supportive and Accountable Culture

While establishing rules, remember that people are more important than a spreadsheet. Owners must bridge the gap between running a business and maintaining a caring for people attitude.

Understand and Support Your Staff: Engage staff in conversation to understand what is happening in their world, whether it’s a sick child, a specialist appointment, or a divorce. This understanding allows you to make accommodations or provide support. If you don’t discuss it, you can only assume a motive.

Make Them Feel Valued: Staff need to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Explaining the why of everything we do will give them the context of the importance and urgency of their role. This approach can spur staff into action and leads to “wins” where employees self-correct their behavior as they take on more responsibility and understand accountability.

Avoid Tolerating Poor Behavior:  If you are too casual, and tolerate poor behaviour, good employees may be discouraged and less likely to want to work for you. Continuously having the rest of the team pick up the slack can breed resentment and lead to staff turnover. I always say, “You get what you ask for, you also get what you accept”.

Focus on Respect, Not Fear

The principles of good parenting—setting rules, boundaries, and consequences while encouraging growth—apply to good leadership.

Hold Staff Accountable Without Being Punitive: It is possible to hold people accountable without being harsh or abusive. Many successful shops maintain high profitability and high-performing staff while showing great compassion, supporting employees through illness, addiction, and divorce—but always with clear boundaries.

Seek Respect, Not Just Likeability: Leaders should stop worrying if their employees like them and instead wonder if they respect them, recognizing that respect is earned.

Consequences of Leniency

If owners are afraid of their employees, the employees may sense this fear and take advantage of it, forcing the owner to bear the brunt of being abused.

Ultimately, balancing the needs of your business with compassion for your staff is a difficult but worthwhile endeavor. By setting clear boundaries, holding staff accountable, and sincerely caring for their well-being, you can foster a respectful and productive work environment where the company is profitable and creates highly paid, meaningful work for their employees.