tutor absenteeism

[Jennifer Jordan-Henley <JORDAN_JJ@A1.RSCC.CC.TN.US>]

We don't have too much trouble with absenteeism, and I think its 
because team spirit is really stressed in our writing center. The work 
study students are responsible for letting someone know if they're 
going to be late or not come in at all, and they are responsible for 
finding a replacement themselves whenever possible. If they cannot, 
they let my lab assistant know, and they then make up the hours or 
switch for someone else. As others have noted, making the students 
aware of how much they are needed and what their responsibilities are 
goes a long way toward developing a loyalty and good attitude toward 
work. 

I make this clear in the initial interview and then reinforce it 
through group e-mails, occasional meetings, and a requirement for each 
tutor to write and communicate with each other in the daily log. (I 
throw a Christmas party and an occasional pizza party, too.) The 
result is that most of the tutors really like it here, and if someone 
does continue to miss work, the other tutors *all* let them know that 
the behavior is unacceptable. The senior tutors, in other words, seek 
to instill work values in junior tutors, and I encourage that. 

The promise of a solid letter of recommendation is also a carrot 
toward good work behavior. And sometimes, problems can be solved by a 
simple schedule rearrangement. 

I have fired two students, but the problems were severe; absenteeism 
was only part of the problem. Nevertheless, the current tutors are 
aware it can happen.

jennifer jordan-henley
jordan_jj@a1.rscc.cc.tn.us