How To Deal With Employees That Skip Work

Everyone needs time off now and then — whether it’s for appointments, personal responsibilities, or simply to recharge.

Planned time off and sick days are part of a healthy workplace, especially when employees communicate in advance.

The real challenge comes with no-call, no-show absences. Unplanned absences can disrupt schedules, reduce productivity, and put pressure on the rest of your team.

Patterns like calling in sick after a long weekend or major event can also create tension, as other employees are left to pick up the slack.

So, how should you handle employees who miss work without notice in 2026?

Create a Policy

Before you can talk to any of your employees about skipping work, you have to first have a policy in place. Without one, your employees are blind as to your expectations.

Here are some things to include in your employee policies. Address the following in a clear, concise manner:

– How employees can request time off
– How to use personal days
– The sick leave policy and what to do if they get sick. For example, you might specify they have to give you at least two hours’ notice. This gives you some time to find a replacement.
– Tell them if it’s their job or their managers to get a replacement
– Layout vacation policies and the notice required before an employee takes one
– Provide a list of the consequences for simply not showing up to work

You might consider having an attorney look over your policies before showing them to your employees.

Once your employees have read the policies, insist that they sign a document stating they have read them and agree to them.

Train Your Staff

An employee handbook is a key to your success. This is where you place your policies so your employees have access to them at any time.

Be sure to train your current and new employees so they are crystal clear on your no-show policy.

For most employees, you’ll want to talk through your policies with them so you can be sure they understand them. You want to let them know that there are no exceptions except in the case of an emergency.

Enforce the Policy

Yes, that’s right. If you have a policy, you must stick to it and enforce it. If you don’t, your employees will take advantage of you.

This is perhaps the most important aspect to dealing with employees that skip work. Be consistent and firm.

Perhaps your policy says an employee will get one warning letter, and after that they lose their job if they skip work. Others are less lenient, and one infraction leads to termination.

It’s up to you to decide the consequences and then stick to them.

The Constant Offender

Now we look at how to deal with the repeat offender. This is necessary if your no-show policy doesn’t result in immediate termination.

For the employee who consistently calls in sick, is repeatedly late to work, or just doesn’t show up, here are some steps you can take to remedy the situation:

1. Have a meeting with the employee. Discuss the problem and how to solve it. For the always-late offender, perhaps it’s changing their hours from 8-5 to 10-7.
2. Remind them how many chances they have left before you are forced to fire them per your policy.
3. Document everything and keep it in your employee’s file.
4. Create a plan for minimizing no-show days. Perhaps it’s hard for your employee to get to work every other Monday because she doesn’t have a sitter until 1 pm. On these days, she figures it’s just better not to show up. Discuss ways to revise her schedule so she doesn’t miss the entire day.
5. Another way to dissuade the consistent offender is to create a reward program (think back to your grade school days) that rewards employees who come to work on time every day and follow the policies for asking for time off. Creating a reward system for employees motivates them to not miss work. Motivating your staff doesn’t have to mean big raises or bonuses. You can motivate your staff through small incentives like parking spots, free coffee coupons and preferred scheduling.
6. Follow through with any consequences. For example – docked pay, making up the time, no raise, a demerit, termination, etc.

Stick to your attendance policy and offer incentives for those who follow it.

Final Thoughts

Employees who repeatedly miss work without notice can create serious challenges for your business.

This behavior often signals disengagement, and if left unaddressed, it can negatively influence the wider team.

Start by identifying the root cause. If it’s a lack of accountability and there’s no effort to improve, termination may be necessary. If there are underlying personal issues, take the time to understand the situation and explore possible solutions.

As a business owner, you can’t allow ongoing no-show behavior without consequences. Your policies need to be clear — and consistently enforced.

**Now that we’ve covered how to handle no-call, no-show employees, we’d love to hear your experience. How have you dealt with these situations? Share your insights in the comments below.**

JD Spinoza

JD enjoys teaching people how to use ZoomShift to save time spent on scheduling. He’s curious, likes learning new things everyday and playing the guitar (although it’s a work in progress).