At one time, the only people who seemed to get “ghosted” were millennials in the dating world who shared their stories across social media. Unfortunately, the traumatic practice of ending personal relationships suddenly, by cutting off all communication and providing no explanation, has spread to the professional world and is becoming common practice for workers who wish to exit companies. In fact, some experts estimate as much as a 20% increase in employee ghosting in 2018.
You may know how ghosting works in the dating world, where the term originated, but what does it look like in the business world? It’s simple. One day the individual just stops coming to work. They exit silently and give no notice. When attempts to phone or email the departed employee are unsuccessful, you’ll quickly realize you may have a better chance at winning the lottery than receiving a return phone call or email from the former employee.
Related Reading: Toxic Employees: How One Bad Apple Ruins the Bunch >>
According to Washington Post, the record low unemployment rate may be partially to blame. With more job openings than workers available to fill positions, individuals just don’t feel the need to stick around for the awkward conversation with their soon-to-be ex-boss. Other reasons individuals ghost employers include the rise of social media and impersonal relationships, feeling underappreciated, poor communication between managers and workers, individuals who are described as young and restless, and those who say they just got a bad vibe from the workplace.
When it comes to business etiquette, ghosting will always be considered poor form. However, employee ghosting is becoming a common practice at all stages in the game - from interviews and job offers to the first day or one year into the employment relationship. When an employee splits without notice, it’s best to cut your losses and move on, and the better you become at adapting, the less likely your business will suffer.
Once you realize you’ve been ghosted, you’ll want to wrap things up on your end. Let’s discuss issuing final pay.
Under federal law, there are no overarching rules governing when and how final pay should be issued. So, employers should look to state laws, which can differ drastically from state to state. When businesses are ghosted, the employee departure is typically documented as “quit without notice” which is important when considering state final pay rules.
Related Reading: Toxic Employees: You've Identified One at Your Business, Now What? >>
Here are the final pay rules for the states of Kansas and Missouri:
In the State of Kansas, whether an employee quits or is terminated, final pay should occur no later than the next regular payday. Full details via the Kansas State Legislature on K.S.A. 44-315 regarding final pay and damages for willful non-payment by the employer are as follows:
In the State of Missouri, the determination of when final pay should be made is based on how the employee separated the company. In general, if the employee is terminated, final pay should be issued immediately. If, however, the employee quits, the law does not provide a deadline for issuing final pay. That said, it is generally accepted final pay shall be issued on the next regular payday. State of Missouri Title XVIII Labor and Industrial Relations Chapter 290 states the following:
Related Reading: How to Minimize the Impact When an Employee Quits Without Notice >>
Employers should always attempt to pay final compensation through their regular payroll delivery method, whether through direct deposit or mail. In the event the check is returned as undeliverable, attempt to reach out through other last known communication methods, including email and phone. If the wages are still undeliverable, the final payment should be held by the employer for a set amount of time, in most states three to five years, and then turned over to the state as unclaimed property.
.png){kind=logo}
Let us know what you think...