The central issue associated with attendance incentives is the notion that these programs treat only the symptoms while ignoring the underlying issues that cause absenteeism in the first place.

Attendance incentives may encourage employees to show up to work, but they do not address the root causes of absenteeism such as job dissatisfaction, poor work-life balance, or health issues. Therefore, while they may temporarily improve attendance rates, they do not provide a long-term solution to absenteeism.