Target attendance points system: New penalties could fire workers at 12 points

Target is rolling out a new attendance points system that will log unexcused tardiness and absences for its store and warehouse staff starting this September.

Target attendance points system penalties

Employees earn ↓ 0.25 point for arriving more than eight minutes late, one point for an unsanctioned shift miss, and three points for a no‑show without notice. Points reset after 365 days.

At ↑ 3 points, a supervisor meeting is triggered; at five, formal counseling follows; reaching twelve points results in termination.

“Our focus is on returning to growth and elevating the guest experience,” a Target spokesperson told Reuters.

New CEO Michael Fiddelke, promoted in February after two decades at the firm, inherits a Bloomberg report of four consecutive quarters of declining comparable sales, though the company projects ↑ 2% net‑sales growth this year.

The move mirrors policies at Walmart and Amazon, and follows a broader post‑pandemic shift toward tighter in‑person attendance monitoring across U.S. retailers.

Words by: Dominic Mercer

Global Real Estate Strategist