Do you struggle with Employee Tardiness & Absenteeism in your ABA Therapy Business?
So, your employees are late….again.
But they promise they’ll be on time tomorrow…like they did last time.
And maybe they will…if they bother to show up.
We’ve seen this pattern before. And we know what it feels like, what it costs, and the effects on staff & client morale. Likely you know this story yourself... been there, done that. It's that book that you don't want to finish reading... your very own #Didnotfinish or #DNF!
Employee tardiness and absenteeism are notoriously difficult to deal with once they’ve already started, especially in ABA therapy businesses. But let’s consider how this problem can snowball…
Effects of Absenteeism & Tardiness
Over time–beyond being a financial burden–absenteeism results in chronic low-staffing, which:
inhibits teamwork and decreases employee morale,
subsequently increasing stress levels, potential for conflict, and
increasing the reinforcing value of escape-maintained behavior,
such as missing more shifts or leaving the organization altogether,
All of which, let’s not forget, impacts the client!
When it comes down to it, to take preventative measures against tardiness and absenteeism is to take proactive measures towards improving your clients’ wellness and your employee retention.
Solutions to Absenteeism & Tardiness
So, let’s get curious: What are those reasonable, cost-effective solutions that are proven to turn absenteeism around for the better?
Without further ado, let’s break this down ABA style…
Antecedent Strategies
Email reminders/notices. Intermittently remind your employees about the on-time expectation and contingencies, updating them on recent trends or challenging them to meet goals.
Visible clock. Let the environment play a part in holding your employees accountable. A simple clock, according to Fienup et al., and a sign with the expectation beside it is a great way to encourage on-time behavior (2013).
Set clear expectations/rules. You can remind and instruct all you like, but if the rules are unclear (i.e., show up for your shift), don’t expect them to be followed closely. Define the on-time arrival like you would any behavior (i.e., arrive 5-15 minutes early before start of first shift).
Non-contingent reinforcement. NCR goes a long way! Who doesn’t like to know the changes they’ve made are appreciated and make a difference? Intermittently reinforcing individuals according to their preference is a great way to show the positive impact their timeliness has on the rest of the crew.
Consequence Strategies
Group vs. individual contingency. Allocating bonuses ($2/week) to staff who show up on-time was found to decrease late arrivals (Berkovits et al., 2012). While both have been proven to improve attendance, it is encouraged to survey your staff to determine which contingency is most widely accepted.
Immediate or delayed total bonus each pay period. If you are interested in giving bonuses, consider the time delay that you are working with that may alter the value of the reinforcer.
Points or Coupons. Put a token economy to use and give your staff opportunities to exchange earned points for time-off, breaks, bonuses, or food.
Post-attendance feedback over direct message (publicly or privately). Before implementing any direct messaging feedback (congrats or callouts), consider surveying your team to learn their feedback preferences on what type of feedback is most effective for them, individually.
And there you have it! Peer-reviewed, logistical, low-cost interventions–tried and tested.
Now what?
So, does this guarantee all tardiness and absenteeism will be reduced to zero?
Let’s phrase it another way: Are all absences the employee’s fault?
Of course, not!
Life happens; and it’s simply unreasonable to expect the impossible.
Take Data or it Didn't Happen
It’s important you continuously monitor attendance to discern which employees have a pattern of on-time behavior worth honoring, even in unpredictable circumstances, and which have a pattern of tardiness or absenteeism worth responding to promptly in order to maintain your expectations.
If the thought of having someone manually log employee arrival time and attendance each day AND providing feedback, is making you already want to give up...
Consider these options:
Use geo-tracking for employees to "clock in/out."
If your state requires Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), find out how to export data to track employee actions and behaviors.
Consider using a Self-Monitoring system, where employees are tracking their own behavior.
Install a tablet for employees to "clock in/out" at the front of the building or near the employee entrance, the modern version of a time-punch clock.
Use an app to capture arrival and departure time; employees can access from their phones or tablets.
Provide automated messages giving immediate feedback to your employees regarding their arrival time and attendance.
A lot of HR systems and CRMs (e.g., scheduling, time and attendance) already have these features built in to their platforms. Speak with your software systems to inquire if you need to add more features or how to use what you already have!
If you need help finding a tech solution, let us know! Innovation Moon specializes in tech solutions to help your ABA therapy business run more smoothly!
Employee Engagement & Satisfaction
Even if you achieve minimal attendance issues after implementing some of these strategies, does that mean you have eliminated all the snowballing employee issues? Nope!
It’s one thing to have employees coming in with good attendance….
It’s another to have them coming in with a good attitude.
Using Reinforcement Strategies
Reinforcement is a key part of absenteeism management, to ensure employees are being treated fairly and equitably. Otherwise, attendance policies can come across as burdensome or coercive in punishing lateness, instead of rewarding timeliness.
It’s one thing to have employees coming in with good attendance….It’s another to have them coming in with a good attitude.
Strive to follow these principles and you are sure to motivate your employees to come skipping gleefully into the clinic...helloooo M.O.s!
Next Steps to Improving On-time & Attendance Behaviors
To help determine how you want to incorporate reinforcement, start by giving an informal preference assessment to all your employees. Use this information to individualize reinforcement with each employee!
Consider using an employee workgroup to help write or re-write your attendance policies and procedures. Studies have shown that employees are more invested when they have input into attendance policies.
Don't forget to use surveys before and after implementing a new strategy with employees. Think... we need baseline AND we need social validity! Pre- and post-surveys are also helpful in seeing the effectiveness of your policy.
A well thought out launch or policy rollout is needed for major changes. Employees often complain about communication breakdowns from leadership. Research #changemanagement strategies to help rollout or update your policies and procedures. Don't expect the changes to happen over night... otherwise you may have a revolt on your hands!
With these tools, absenteeism and tardiness in your ABA therapy business are sure to be significantly reduced!
It's OK to ask for Outside Help with your ABA Therapy Business
And, if you are interested in having an outside agency help you with employee performance and management, we recommend Behavioral Talent Consulting, Partners Behavioral Health, ABA Growth Consulting, and Innovation Moon (shameless plug).
ABA consultant agencies, like these, are helpful in conducting non-biased, 3rd party assessments, reviewing your policies and procedures with you, and developing individualized strategies that best serve your employees and clients.
Your employees will LOVE that your ABA therapy business is implementing ABA strategies within the company for success. Trust me!
Are you looking for more support?
Join an Launchpad, an ABA Business Owner Community that doesn't Suck!
For more ideas on maintaining your business, visit Launchpad, an ABA Business Owner Community dedicated to helping startups and ABA Business Owners take their next steps.
Benefits of joining Launchpad:
Launchpad is way better than a Facebook group, with all the in-fighting, negativity, and gatekeeping! All those poor posts from Anonymous...who wants to get ripped to shreds when they need help?
With monthly themes, weekly events, safe spaces members to chat with each other, and tons of mentors available to support business owners be successful in their business journeys
Members ONLY preferred partner offers and resources
Did we mention we have some of our industries top leaders, mentors, and consultants in our community available to chat or mentor our members!
We’re here to help you feel more confident in shaping your workplace using OBM/ABA–even the behavior of making an entrance!
Well, not that kind of entrance….
Sydney Sherman, MA
7/9/2024
References
Berkovits, S. M., Sturmey, P., & Alvero, A. M. (2012). Effects of individual and group contingency interventions on attendance in adolescent part-time employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 32(2), 152-161.
Fienup, D. M., Luiselli, J. K., Joy, M., Smyth, D., & Stein, R. (2013). Functional assessment and intervention for organizational behavior change: Improving the timeliness of staff meetings at a human services organization. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33(4), 252-264.