Target to use points system for worker lateness and absences
The retailer will begin tracking unexcused attendance issues in September, with termination possible at 12 points, Fortune reported.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Target will start using a points-based system in September to track unexcused lateness and absences among store and warehouse employees, Fortune reported, citing Business Insider reporting that Target confirmed. Workers who accumulate 12 points under the system can be fired, making attendance enforcement a more formal part of the retailer’s operations.
Under the policy reported by Business Insider and cited by Fortune, employees receive a quarter-point if they clock in more than eight minutes late. A worker gets one point for missing a shift without a manager’s approval, and three points for failing to show up without notifying a supervisor.
Fortune reported that attendance points will remain on an employee’s record for 365 days. The system also creates earlier intervention steps: at three points, workers must meet with a supervisor, and at five points, counseling may follow, according to the report.
New policy arrives during a turnaround push
Fortune tied the attendance changes to Target’s effort under CEO Michael Fiddelke to improve stores and the shopping experience. A Target spokesperson told Business Insider that the company is “focused on returning to growth” and that improving the guest experience is a strategic priority.
Fiddelke became Target’s chief executive at the beginning of February, Fortune reported. He had spent about two decades at the company after starting as an intern in 2003, according to Fortune.
His promotion came as Target was dealing with weaker performance, Fortune reported. The company had posted its fourth straight quarter of declining comparable sales shortly after Fiddelke took over, though it projected 2% net sales growth for the year.
Fortune also reported that Target has faced shopper complaints in recent years about prices, thin staffing and store conditions, including messy aisles and poorly stocked shelves. The company employs more than 400,000 people and was valued at about $63 billion, according to Fortune.
Target did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment, Fortune reported.
Other employers have tightened attendance checks
Fortune reported that Target is not alone among large U.S. retailers in using points to enforce attendance. Walmart and Amazon also have points-based attendance policies for their workers, according to Fortune.
The move comes as more employers monitor whether workers are showing up in person after pandemic-era work patterns shifted, Fortune reported. Some companies have used badge records, device data and internal reporting tools to check attendance, according to Fortune.
Roblox began tracking office entry badge swipes and location data from company laptops and phones in 2023 to verify compliance with its three-day return-to-office policy, Fortune reported. Bloomberg also told employees that year to log their daily location in an internal system, with managers giving verbal reminders to staff who missed required office days, according to Fortune.
Dell began tracking employee badge swipes and VPN usage in 2024 to monitor whether hybrid employees were coming into the office three days a week, Fortune reported. Dell told Fortune at the time that in-person connections, combined with flexibility, were important to innovation and business value.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.