How to calculate employee delays and absences, with examples

Calculating delays and absences looks simple until you have to do it for dozens of people, several schedules and different shifts. This guide gives you a clear method to define, count and document them.

First, write the rules down

Mexico’s Federal Labor Law does not set a general grace period for delays. That is defined in the internal work rules or in the contract. Whatever is not written and communicated to staff becomes hard to enforce. Define at least:

• Start time for each post and shift.
• Grace period: how many minutes after the start time still count as on time, if any.
• What a delay is and from how many minutes it becomes an absence, if your policy says so.
• How an absence or delay is justified (sick leave, permission, prior notice).

How to count a delay: an example

A post starts at 8:00 and has a 10-minute grace period.

• Arrives at 8:07: on time, within the grace period.
• Arrives at 8:15: delay.
• Arrives at 9:30: under your policy, a major delay or an absence.

What matters is that the rule is the same for everyone and that the time record is reliable.

How to count absences

• Unjustified absence: the person did not show up and there is no permission or justified cause.
• Justified absence: there is sick leave, an authorized permission or another documented cause.

The Federal Labor Law treats missing work more than three times in thirty days without permission or justified cause as grounds for dismissal without liability for the employer (art. 47, section X). Even so, applying any measure requires following the right procedure and documents; check it with your attorney.

How to keep control without losing hours

1. Record every check-in with date and time in a system, not from memory or on paper.
2. Automatically compare the recorded time against the post’s schedule.
3. Mark justified absences with their document (sick leave, permission).
4. Review a summary per person and per period before payroll.

PPanel calculates delays and absences from clock-ins and schedules, and ties them to requests and disciplinary reports. Request a demo.

This article is informational and is not legal advice: consult your labor attorney for your case.