Would you rather have 85% shift coverage or 100%? Getting to grips with unacceptable levels of non-attendance for what is a guarding KPI…

Ahh January. The “Monday of months“, according to writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. For many people, the January blues can translate into sluggish mornings and tardiness for work. Should you find yourself in such a position, here are some humorous suggestions that you might consider using to explain yourself.

Just don’t blame me if you get fired..!

• I was too tired because I’m overworked. It would’ve been unsafe to drive in that condition.
• I couldn’t be bothered to care. Be happy I’m here at all.
• I’m sorry. Someone told me to go to hell. I couldn’t find it at first, but now I’m here.
• If it wasn’t for that traffic light turning red, I would have been on time.
• I’m late because I didn’t want to be here at all, and this seemed like a good compromise.

I’m not sure any of the above would cut the mustard. And they are, as I said, designed to be funny. However, perhaps not so funny is the KPI of shift coverage for guarding in retail…

Recently I learnt that the guarding industry currently averages around 84% of shift coverage. After 23 years in the business, I take for granted the 100% shift coverage we have become used to at Advantage One. Perhaps it is because that’s how I have run the business from day one. The idea that 1-2 guards out of every 10 will not even show up for their shift is anathema to me. Being punctual is often considered a sign of professionalism, respect, and discipline.

People who are always punctual and on time do some things differently than other people who differ from them. Whether it is for work meetings, social gatherings, or personal appointments, these people take pride in their work, are punctilious and punctual. And that’s what we expect from every Advantage One team member. When I tell retailers that they can count on us 100%, because our guards actually want to work and do a good job, they are amazed. And I am equally amazed that any retailer would put up with anything less.

So, out of curiosity I googled “reasons for not turning up for work.” What follows are some REAL examples of reasons people have provided, as researched by Reader’s Digest…

• An employee had to “attend the funeral of his wife’s cousin’s pet, because he was an uncle and pallbearer.”

• Another said that “someone glued my doors and windows shut, so I couldn’t leave the house to come to work.” Poor woman!

• One unfortunate person searching for an alibi stated that she was late because “she was bitten by a duck.”

• Clearly not having prepared the previous night for the next day of work, one employee “caught their uniform on fire by putting it in the microwave to dry.”

• In a moment of unwise candour, one person said that they “woke up in a good mood and didn’t want to ruin it.”

• One new employee said he “forgot he had been hired for the job.” I suspect he lasted only slightly less time than the male employee who claimed he “had morning sickness.”

• It is usually wise to be prepared for all eventualities. However, not so for the employee who called in sick from a bar at 5:00pm… the night before their day of absence.

• And my personal favourite is the guy who claimed, presumably with a yawn, that they did arrive at their office in good time to start work, but then “fell asleep in the parking lot!”

If poor shift coverage and the reasons given for it are no longer funny, if indeed ever they were, then please get in touch and put Advantage One to the test. Once you have seen what we can do, you will wish you’d found us years ago…

100% shift coverage. And I am not joking!