Networking Group Attendance Policy (with Examples You Can Copy)

A referral group works because members see each other every week. Referrals follow familiarity, and an empty chair gives and receives nothing. An attendance policy puts that expectation in writing, so the leader isn't deciding case by case who has missed too much.

A good policy fits on half a page and answers six questions.

What a policy should cover

1. How many absences are allowed, and over what period
2. Whether a substitute counts as attending, and who can be one
3. What counts as late or leaving early
4. Leave of absence for illness, family or a busy season
5. Remote attendance, if the chapter meets in person
6. What happens when a member goes over the limit, and who decides

A common standard in structured referral groups is three absences in any six months, with a substitute counting as present. Your group can be stricter or looser. What matters is that the number is written down and applies to everyone.

Example 1: strict

Suited to a full chapter with a waiting list for seats.

"Members are expected at every weekly meeting. A member may miss three meetings in any six-month period. A member who cannot attend may send a substitute to represent their business. A substitute counts as attending and may be used up to three times in six months. Arriving more than ten minutes late or leaving before referrals are passed counts as an absence. After a third absence, the membership committee will contact the member. After a fourth, the member's seat may be opened."

Example 2: standard

Suited to most chapters.

"Members are expected to attend each week and to tell the chapter leader in advance when they can't. A member may miss up to four meetings in a quarter. Substitutes are welcome and count as attending. A member who expects to be away for more than three weeks in a row may ask for a leave of absence of up to eight weeks, once a year. If a member goes over the limit, the leader will talk with them before any other step is taken."

Example 3: flexible

Suited to a new group, or one that meets twice a month.

"We meet on the first and third Tuesday. Members are asked to attend at least three of every four meetings and to let the group know when they will be away. Members who miss three meetings in a row will be asked whether the seat still suits them."

Substitutes

A substitute keeps a member's business in front of the room. Set three rules:

• The substitute represents the member's business, not their own
• They give the member's introduction and pass along any referrals
• They can't be from a category another member holds, unless they stay strictly on the absent member's business

Leave of absence

Life happens: surgery, a new baby, a family illness, tax season for the accountant. A leave of absence lets a good member step out without losing their seat or bending the rules for everyone else. Put a limit on its length and how often it can be used, and ask the member to send a substitute when they can.

Enforce it kindly

• Call before you count. After a second absence, the leader checks in. Most attendance problems are really something else: a slow month, a family matter, a member who isn't getting referrals.
• Let a committee decide. Opening a seat should never be one person's call.
• Apply it evenly. The first time a popular member is let off, the policy stops meaning anything.
• Give new members the policy before they join, and count their attendance from the day they joined.

Track it

Nobody should have to count from memory. At minimum, keep a sheet with a row for each member and a column for each meeting. Better, use a check-in that records itself. See QR codes vs. paper sign-in sheets.

On Ecoferral, members check in by scanning a code on the meeting screen. The leader sees each member's attendance over recent meetings, counted from the day they joined, with the members who have missed the most at the top. Holiday weeks can be marked "no meeting," and the leader can check a member in by hand. See meeting check-in.