Your attendance is required for you to be paid and for business to operate as it should. Attendance is also the first section in the Performance Reviews because it is that important. Don’t let attendance bring your performance review score down. Employees who are out or tardy in excessive amounts create hardships for co-workers and this will not be tolerated. You would think this goes without saying and easily understood. You would be surprised how often poor attendance is addressed in the workplace.
Communication is key to ensuring your attendance is satisfactory. Please inform your supervisor in a timely manner of any time exceptions. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action. The next section is going to go over some major attendance issues that will result in discipline or termination.
Three timesheet or attendance related written warnings within a 3-month period will result in a 1-day suspension without pay.
Recording time
We want to make every moment in life count and while you are at work, we like to count those moments. Here are some things that you need to know about recording your time.
- You should clock in when you arrive to your location and are ready to work. This does not mean clocking in on the road (for those that have mobile access), nor does it mean clocking in before you get situated and actually ready to work.
- You should not be clocking in more than 5 minutes early or 5 minutes late on any time punch. Do not abuse the grace periods for time exceptions; for example, Property Managers are expected to have the office unlocked and prepared to receive residents/tenants at 08:30 AM, not 08:35 AM.
- If you are running behind, even if it is 5-10 minutes, ALWAYS notify your supervisor. As said before, the office is expected to be open and functioning at 08:30 AM or 09:00 AM; any minute past scheduled opening time should be notified to your supervisor.
- Notes are required for all punches and a descriptive note for any time punches that are different than your normal schedule, such as time exceptions. Notes are periodically reviewed by the HR Department, failing to include notes on time exceptions can result in disciplinary actions.
- Both Hourly and Salary employees are required to clock in and out, take lunch, and inform their supervisor of any time exceptions.
- Your supervisor should not have to continually fix your timesheet. If there is a continual habit of failing to clock in or clock out to where your supervisor has to fix your timesheet numerous times, disciplinary action may occur. Three or more punches added by a supervisor per pay period without explanation or notes is considered excessive.
- If at any time you have an issue with the NOVA mobile app or the NOVAtime website when trying to punch in or out, please notify your supervisor or HR as soon as possible, so the issue can be resolved.
- Our time system records your GPS location and/or will only allow you to punch in/out at your assigned location.
- We consider time fraud the same as stealing money. If time fraud is committed, it will result in termination.
- Timesheets must be submitted & approved each Monday following payday. If something needs to be corrected, it must be done by your supervisor before you approve your time. If you do not ensure your timesheet is correct, you are taking a risk that your paycheck may be incorrect.
- If your paycheck is incorrect due to time calculated not being accurate, an adjustment will be made on the next paycheck.
- Once your time is approved and payroll has been processed it cannot be edited.
- Everyone is required to take a lunch break.
- Lunch periods should be taken between the hours of 11:30 AM and 02:00 PM. If you are alone in the office, a clock/note must be left on your door with your return time.
- Working off the clock is NOT allowed.
- Do not leave before your shift ends. If you are scheduled to leave at 05:30 PM, that means your shift ends at 05:30 PM.
- If you leave before your shift ends, without notifying your supervisor, this will be considered job abandonment and you will be terminated.
Calling Out of Work
So, here is where most employers go on and on about how you should not call out of work and what will happen if you do. We are not going to do that here. As a matter of fact, there are times we don’t want you to come in to work at all like times when you are sick. We want you to keep those unpleasant germs at home, so they do not spread and cause an office epidemic of mass proportions. We also want you to take the time to heal and recover after being sick so that you can come to work and be the best you.
- Unless otherwise stated by your supervisor, we ask that you call your supervisor to notify them of your absence or tardy. If they do not answer, leave a message. Texts and instant messages are the preferred form of contact.
- If you are going to be out, call your supervisor at least 1 hour before your shift. If you are a Property Manager, you will need to call 2 hours before your shift begins. This will give your supervisor enough time to find coverage for your property or give you enough time to determine coverage for your property.
- Property Managers are responsible for ensuring there is coverage for their property when calling out of work. Coverage should be handled as soon as possible, and the Regional/District Manager should be informed immediately. Failure to ensure property has coverage when calling out of work may result in disciplinary action.
- If you are out for more than 2 days, you will be required to bring in a Doctor’s note. All medical excuses will be verified. Forgery of notes will result in disciplinary actions or termination.
- If you do not call your supervisor notifying them that you will be absent, after 2 days we will consider this as job abandonment, and you will be terminated.
- If you are late, call your supervisor as soon as possible, 15 minutes before your shift begins is not as soon as possible.
- If you do not return to work after scheduled PTO this will be considered job abandonment and will be retroactive to the last day worked and you will not be paid out for any PTO used.
Scheduling of Appointments
At some point during your employment with us you will surely need to make some sort of appointment during normal work hours. Please schedule these for earliest or latest available in the day. Please let us know as soon as an appointment is scheduled so we can ensure coverage. If you need to schedule a medical procedure (unless it is an emergency) please follow the PTO request guidelines.
Time Exceptions & Attendance Point System
The object of this game is to get the fewest points as possible. This policy was implemented to curb attendance issues. Your supervisor has the option to forgive points for occurrences that were approved such as time off, coming in late, and leaving early. Points will NOT be forgiven if a note is not attached. Excessive unforgiven points will result in disciplinary actions and possible termination. Failure to notify your supervisor in a timely manner of any time exceptions may result in disciplinary action.
• Exceptions to assigned schedule will result in an attendance point.
• Start early (punching in more than 5 minutes prior to assigned start time) – 1 point
• Start late (arriving 7 or more minutes after scheduled start time) – 1 point
• Leave early (leaving prior to scheduled end time) – 1 point
• Leave late (leaving 5 or more minutes after scheduled end time) – 1 point
• Long lunch (lunch duration 5 or more minutes longer than assigned lunch duration) – 1 point
• Short lunch (lunch duration 5 or more minutes shorter than assigned lunch duration) – 1 point
• No lunch (failure to take lunch as assigned) – 1 point
• No call absence (Failure to notify supervisor in the event of an absence) – 5 points
Excessive tardiness is considered as follows:
- More than 1 tardy arrival in 1 week.
- More than 2 tardies within a pay period (2 weeks).
- More than 4 tardies within a month.