Quirky Employee Behaviors- The Walking, Talking Infirmary

Isn’t absolutely amazing how one person can possibly contact every germ, bug and virus that exists in the universe? Well most of us have had the distinct honor of working with one or more of these individuals over the course of our work life. These are the employees that can hear you talking about one of your distant relatives having the flu, and they call in with flu symptoms the very next day. It is nothing short of miraculous how these individuals will contract everything from the common cold to a highly contagious virus (requiring days of in-home quarantine...of course) at the drop of a hat.  This unfortunate cycle seems to continue throughout the employee's marginal career.

These employees seem to be the unlucky souls who are constantly suffering with mysterious symptoms that leave their doctors stumped. They come to work wheezing, sneezing, coughing, dripping, sweating and seem to come just short of seizing. Not only are they frequently leaving work to go to their own doctor appointments, but they are also constantly running their family members (including fourth cousins twice removed) to their medical appointments as well. They need to be at every family member’s surgery, biopsy and tooth extraction. Clearly the extended family unit could not continue functioning without this employee being the focal point of all medical activity.

These employees also seem to get sick at the worse possible times. It does not appear that they have any regard for the impact their absenteeism has on their company or their fellow employees. Half the department could be out due to meetings, valid leaves of absence and/or vacations, and this employee will still call in sick with some random case of the bubonic plague.

CRYING WOLF SYNDROME
This type of employee defines the 'crying wolf syndrome'. They make a huge deal over every sniffle and cough, causing you to become desensitized to their many medical dramas. Just keep in mind that one of these days, one of their issues may end up being a serious medical condition. So although you really want to roll your eyes every time you see them coming, or hear their voice on the phone, you need to maintain your objectivity. If this latest issue is truly related to a serious medical condition, you have an obligation to discuss their right to apply for a medical leave of absence and/or FMLA (check your company policy). 

THE DREADED ATTENDANCE DISCUSSION
Although the employees with constant minor medical dramas can absolutely drain you of time better spent on other employees, you must not prejudge whether their latest story is true; just follow the guidelines established by your company for addressing attendance issues. Suggestions for an attendance meeting are as follows:

• Have a fellow supervisor/manager as a witness and ask them to take detailed notes.
• Thank the employee for joining you.
• Explain that you have noticed that their absenteeism seems to have increased and is bordering on excessive.
• At this point, the employee will most likely launch into the conversation and will begin unloading EVERYTHING regarding their health and the health of their family and closest friends. Make sure you listen carefully and try to determine whether there is any aspect of the story that sounds like it may be related to a serious medical condition related to the employee or an immediate family member.
• Again, explain that you are concerned about their level of absenteeism and if the situation is related to their own serious medical condition, or that of an immediate family member, then they need to consider applying for a medical/FMLA leave of absence.
• Most front-line supervisors/managers are not typically expected to know the details behind FMLA. Your role is to advise the employee of their right to pursue FMLA.
• If the employee expresses interest, inform the employee that you will be getting in touch with your HR representative. Make sure to contact HR that day!
• Have your company’s attendance policy available and make sure you reiterate the policy.
• If the explanations for the absences are random, and have nothing to do with a chronic medical condition, it is time to explain the consequences for their current level of attendance and any additional absences.
• If you are intending to issue some type of disciplinary action due to the random nature of the absenteeism, and then make sure you let the employee know that this documentation is forthcoming within the next few days. You don’t want to just spring it on them or they may feel like it is double-jeopardy (you already talked to them about the issue and are now coming back again to whack them over the head with it).
• Document the conversation and proceed with formal disciplinary action related to the employee’s attendance, if appropriate.

It is rare that these types of employees actually end up pursuing FMLA. There is stringent criteria for qualifying for FMLA, including physicians’ statements and a relatively frequent review of the employees medical information. Often times once an employee has a full understanding of what is required to qualify for FMLA, you won’t hear much more about it. As long as you have advised the employee of their rights under FMLA (do it with a witness present), and the employee either fails to apply or fails to qualify, you should continue to forge ahead with holding the employee accountable to the attendance guidelines. I strongly suggest you reach out to your HR representative to partner with them as you work through these issues; they can be tricky and have negative consequences for the employer if not handled appropriately.

SUMMARY
Putting this employee ‘in a box’ by strictly enforcing your company’s attendance policy is your only hope for forcing them into a decision. They can modify their behavior and begin showing up for work every day, or face termination where they can take their show on the road to another unsuspecting employer. Regardless of their decision, maintain your professionalism and your efforts will pay off in the end.