Item - 2008.AU9.5
Tracking Status
- City Council adopted this item on December 1, 2008 without amendments and without debate.
- This item was considered by Audit Committee on November 4, 2008 and was adopted with amendments. It will be considered by City Council on December 1, 2008.
AU9.5 - Managing Employee Attendance - Opportunities for Improvement
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Adopted on Consent
- Wards:
- All
City Council Decision
City Council on December 1, 2 and 3, 2008, adopted the following motions:
1. The City Manager take immediate action to reinforce management and supervisory staff awareness of the availability of attendance management reports. Attendance Management reports should be used by all supervisory staff in the management of employee attendance.
2. The City Manager direct all staff to ensure that the Attendance Management Program policy is complied with.
3. The City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Human Resources, develop a standardized reporting format to document results of meetings held with employees, in accordance with the Attendance Management Program policy.
4. The City Manager, in consultation with the Director, Pension, Payroll and Employee Benefits, re-emphasize the requirements for medical certificates, including the sufficiency of information to be provided on the certificate, by all City staff, in support of absences due to illness.
5. The City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Human Resources, expedite the availability of training designed to provide guidance to management and supervisory staff responsible for dealing with attendance issues.
Background Information (Committee)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-16445.pdf
Appendix 1 - Managing Employee Attendance, Opportunities for Improvement - October 15, 2008 - Auditor General's Office
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-16462.pdf
5a - Management's Response to the Auditor General's Review - Managing Employee Attendance, Opportunities for Improvement
Background Information (Committee)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-16699.pdf
AU9.5 - Managing Employee Attendance - Opportunities for Improvement
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Amended
- Wards:
- All
Committee Recommendations
The Audit Committee recommends that:
1. The City Manager take immediate action to reinforce management and supervisory staff awareness of the availability of attendance management reports. Attendance Management reports should be used by all supervisory staff in the management of employee attendance.
2. The City Manager direct all staff to ensure that the Attendance Management Program policy is complied with.
3. The City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Human Resources, develop a standardized reporting format to document results of meetings held with employees, in accordance with the Attendance Management Program policy.
4. The City Manager, in consultation with the Director, Pension, Payroll and Employee Benefits re-emphasize the requirements for medical certificates including the sufficiency of information to be provided on the certificate, by all City staff, in support of absences due to illness.
5. The City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Human Resources, expedite the availability of training designed to provide guidance to management and supervisory staff responsible for dealing with attendance issues.
Decision Advice and Other Information
The Audit Committee requested:
1. The Employee and Labour Relations Committee to consider creating a sub-committee to address employee absentee rates, with the management of those divisions with the highest rates being requested to advise why their rates are high and how they plan to address the problem.
2. The Auditor General to include in his follow-up report on this matter, the overtime costs that
result from employee absenteeism.
Origin
Summary
Complaints to the Fraud and Waste Hotline Program have highlighted issues with attendance management and specifically the potential for employees to misuse sick leave banks, particularly prior to retirement. In view of this, we included a limited review of these issues in our 2008 Work Plan.
The overall objective of this review was to assess whether management was monitoring employee attendance, specifically the potential misuse of sick leave, a form of culpable absenteeism.
As part of our review, we also considered the City’s Attendance Management Program policy which deals with non-culpable or innocent absenteeism for all employees. Our review included an examination of employee attendance records and related practices and procedures in place across City divisions. We focused on those employees who had significant sick leave above the divisional average.
Effective management of non-culpable or innocent employee absences is important to identifying potential incidents that may not be legitimate and are actually culpable or blameworthy.
During the course of the review, we identified opportunities for improvement relating to the management of employee attendance. In this context, our report contains five recommendations.
Financial Impact
The implementation of the recommendations in this report will improve management of employee attendance and reduce the risk of potential misuse of sick leave. The extent of any potential reduction in absenteeism or potential cost savings resulting from implementing the recommendations in this report is not determinable at this time.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-16445.pdf
Appendix 1 - Managing Employee Attendance, Opportunities for Improvement - October 15, 2008 - Auditor General's Office
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-16462.pdf
5a - Management's Response to the Auditor General's Review - Managing Employee Attendance, Opportunities for Improvement
Origin
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-16699.pdf