Article: To directly address an employee's absenteeism, set up a meeting between yourself, the employee, and any other relevant individuals (such as another supervisor or human resources representative, if applicable) to discuss the situation. Be proactive. Schedule a meeting as soon as you notice the problem, or it is brought to your attention. Let the employee know the purpose of the meeting. The point is not to blindside the employee, but to let both sides communicate, determine the facts, and decide on a course of action. Don't assume that there is an inexcusable reason for the employee's absences. Instead, offer to set up a meeting so that everyone can be clear with each other and understand the situation. Before deciding how to deal with the absenteeism, let the employee explain if there were any legitimate reasons for missing work. If the absences were due to a misuse of leave time or a violation of workplace policies, let the employee discuss any plans he or she has for improving in the future. You can use the employee's explanation, if any, when determining what to do about the excessive absenteeism. As an employer or manager, you can ask an employee to explain absenteeism, and ask for documentation (such as a doctor's note) if necessary. After hearing from the employee, explain any policies or expectations your workplace has regarding absenteeism. If your workplace has an explicit policy regarding absenteeism, and the employee is in violation of that policy, then you will have to act in accordance with that policy. Otherwise, your decision will be based on the facts or explanation presented by the employee, your management style, and your own sense of judgment. Whatever your decision, make a written statement of it; deliver it to the employee and human resources office (if applicable), and keep a copy for your records. Some options include: You may issue a formal warning to the employee, explaining that future absenteeism will result in more severe consequences. You may require the employee to have special permission for any future absences. You may decide to remove certain privileges from the employee, such as the opportunity to choose shifts. Termination is a severe consequence, even for excessive absenteeism. If you are thinking of terminating an employee due to excessive absenteeism, make sure it is necessaryfor example, the employee has no legitimate explanation for the absences, and/or continues the behavior even after you meet to discuss the problem. In addition, you must make sure that termination is permissible according to any relevant employment contracts, workplace policies, and laws. If you plan to terminate an employee, consider sending him or her a written notice and explanation beforehand. Usually, you cannot terminate an employee on grounds of absenteeism if you only expect that the employee will miss excessive amounts of work; instead, there must be an actual record of absenteeism.

What is a summary?
Set up a meeting. Give the employee a chance to explain. Make a decision and get it in writing. Terminate the employee, if necessary.