How do you handle an employee who keeps calling in sick?
That’s the question Bill sent in — and it’s one every leader will eventually face.
When someone is consistently out every couple of weeks, it doesn’t just impact productivity. It impacts morale. It impacts culture. And it forces you to decide what kind of leader you’re going to be.
In this episode, we break down how to approach the situation with both compassion and strength — because great leadership requires both.
What You’ll Learn
- Why calling in sick consistently is often a symptom of something deeper
- The first conversation every leader should have before taking disciplinary action
- How to balance care for the individual with protection of company culture
- Why ignoring repeated absences sends the wrong message to the rest of your team
- How employee behavior spreads when leadership doesn’t address it
- The danger of letting team members adopt the mindset of “If they can do it, so can I”
- When to shift from a personal conversation to formal corrective action
- How to structure progressive discipline:
- Clear verbal expectations
- Formal written warnings
- Pay consequences when appropriate
- Final consequences if behavior continues
- Why you should never allow someone to position themselves as a victim in this scenario
- The importance of helping employees see that their choices have consequences
- How protecting culture is one of your primary responsibilities as a leader
- Why having your team’s back means addressing behavior that hurts morale
The Big Leadership Principle
Start with the person.
Protect the culture.
Great leaders care deeply about their people. That means asking:
- What’s really going on?
- Is there a legitimate issue?
- How can I help?
But leadership also means setting boundaries.
If someone is unwilling to take responsibility, unwilling to improve, or consistently abuses the system, you must act — not just for the business, but for the integrity of the team.
Because culture is built on what you tolerate.
If you’re facing this situation right now, take a breath, lead with compassion first — and then lead with clarity.
As always, take this information, change your leadership, change your business, change your life — and join us on the next episode.
Thanks for listening folks!
If you enjoyed the podcast, please share it!
Let us know… Reviews are insanely helpful. I read each and every one of them! Please leave an honest review for Chris LoCurto Show Podcast.
Want more? Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes!
Different Bill here.
I recently went through the last several months of all my directs’ PTO and sick time records. Turns out 90% of sick days were on Fridays. How weird is that?! What are the odds?
My first impulse was to call the CDC. They would be very interested in the flu virus’s preference for the last day of the work week.
Then I realized we had probably just started developing an unhealthy culture (see what I did there?) In my following one-on-ones. I pointed out I had noticed the trend and reiterated 1) Friday is a work day 2) sick days are not vacation days.
I see it initially as a failure in my setting of expectations. If it continues however, expectations have been reset and I now can have a more direct conversation.
Also, I would suggest Michael Hyatt’s recent podcast on confrontation. So helpful. I actually got a chance to use the advice and it is spot on for this kind of situation.
Good stuff! Are you all doing anything to address the larger culture issue you detect?
Absolutely, but carefully. I am prone to action and will charge off only to realize nobody is following me. Oops. What is a leader without followers?
Ultimately, I think the core issue is lack of vision…again a me problem not a team problem. I have a team of smart, dedicated individuals who are wanting for a shared cause.
Sinek’s “Start With Why” goes to the heart of the issue. I am trying to construct the “Why” of what our team is doing. It is a daunting process and not something that will be completed over the weekend.
Ugh, go faster Culture! There are some things I want to accomplish.
Chris,
As always, a great Podcast and answer to the question. One thing you didn’t reiterate in handling this issue was how to address the situation, if in fact it is a personal situation affecting the individual, with the rest of the team.
I recall you teaching us before about the idea of a ‘Need To Know’ situation and addressing that with the team: This team member is going through a difficult time and it’s on a need to know basis – if you need to know, he or she will tell you. Apart from that, he or she needs to take a day off periodically and we as a team are going to work together to support her.
Thank you for the great content. I’m hearing you, learning it, and applying it.