Managing the Usual Suspects – skivers

Buffalo Skiver is one of the Usual Suspects of poor attendance. He is the one who leaves early on a Friday and takes Mondays off to recover from a busy weekend. He will stretch his lunch break an extra half an hour whenever he can and slip off early when no-one is looking. The issue causing Buffalo Skiver’s recurring absence is that he is unengaged. He is not inspired by his job and has no real commitment to his employer. To manage these skivers,  management should understand why they are so unengaged and make a vested effort to inspire them.

Different types of workforces will respond best to different engagement initiatives. There are many options apart from the financial rewards that first spring to mind. For some, recognition from management – even a simple thank you – is enough to make the job more meaningful. Others like to feel that they matter so the employer needs to show caring. Companies can launch employee wellbeing events or involve all staff in some level of decision making. Give employees some say in their daily job and they will feel more empowered. Where possible, accommodate flexible working showing that employees’ individual needs are taken into consideration.

If your Buffalo Skiver continues his recurring absence, that will give his line manager a good opportunity to discuss his commitment to the job at return to work interviews. A fit for purpose absence management system will ensure that the manager takes the right steps through the attendance review process and if the employer’s efforts to re-engage Buffalo Skiver are unsuccessful, his performance review will eventually result in the inevitable conclusion: he is in the wrong job. From there it’s a simple case of parting ways as amicably as possible.

If you’d like to read more about how to manage the usual suspects, read our articles about Butch Presentee, Sleeps-with-Smartphone and Wild Bill Ghost. To start tracking the absence patterns of Buffalo Skivers in your organisation, sign up to Engage today!