Attendance, time off, and absenteeism

In this Business English lesson, students explore the essential workplace topics of attendance, punctuality, absenteeism, and time-off policies. By the end of the class, they will be able to confidently use workplace vocabulary (e.g., absenteeism, sick leave, tardiness, corrective action, workforce shortage) and apply functional expressions for reporting absences, requesting leave, and explaining lateness. Learners will also analyze real-world attendance policies, role-play professional conversations between employees and managers, and reflect on cultural differences in workplace expectations.

Who this worksheet is for:
This lesson is designed for intermediate (B1–B2) ESL learners who want to improve their Business English communication skills. It is suitable for HR professionals and managers, business students, and corporate training participants.

Other lessons you might like are “Performance appraisals“, “Employee onboarding“, “Performance punishment“, “Labor unions“, “The right to disconnect“, and “Phrasal verbs: Human Resources“.

Activities included in the worksheet:

• Speaking (Lead-in): Learners brainstorm reasons why people miss work and discuss workplace punctuality, absences, and procedures for requesting time off.

• Vocabulary: Students match workplace vocabulary (e.g., absenteeism, attendance policy, corrective action) with definitions, then complete gap-fill exercises to practice usage in context.

• Speaking practice: Guided discussion questions about absenteeism, lateness, sick leave, and vacation days to connect new vocabulary with personal experiences.

• Reading & Gap-Fill Dialogues: Students complete and role-play realistic conversations between employees and managers about calling in sick, arriving late, and requesting time off.

• Functional Language: Learners study professional expressions for reporting absences, lateness, and requesting leave, then practice them in structured scenarios.

• Speaking: Students act out professional conversations — e.g., explaining lateness due to car trouble, requesting vacation, or calling in sick — while managers respond with varying levels of flexibility and firmness.

• Listening A & B: Learners watch a video on “Managing employee attendance,” first to check factual comprehension (true/false), then to sequence management tips and analyze best practices.

• Policy Analysis & Discussion: Students read sample company attendance policies (e.g., no-show, sick leave rules, flexible working hours) and evaluate which are strictest, most supportive, and most effective.

• For more speaking practice, you can use the printable conversation cards.