Navigating the HR Bermuda Triangle

Colleen Malmassari
Founder of Back40 Advisors LLC

Where HR issues start to drift

Every supervisor knows the moment an employee situation drifts into the “HR Bermuda Triangle”—that confusing intersection where attendance issues, medical needs, and performance concerns collide. What starts as a simple conversation about missed shifts or tardiness can quickly evolve into a complex tangle of protected leave laws, accommodation requirements, and documentation challenges. When these three areas overlap, employers face heightened risk, unclear next steps, and often a sense that the situation could pull them under.

How the triangle forms

The HR Bermuda Triangle typically takes shape when attendance problems cross paths with protected leave. An employee who’s missing work may also disclose a medical condition, request flexibility, or provide information that triggers the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), WA Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or other state leave obligations. When performance was already slipping—or when supervisors have been informally managing concerns without consistent documentation—the situation becomes even more layered. Suddenly, employer obligations increase while performance expectations become harder to enforce.

A major reason these situations escalate is that attendance, leave, and performance are often handled separately rather than as connected components. With different managers or departments responsible for different pieces, communication gaps can form. Attendance isn’t tracked the same way across teams, medical documentation doesn’t get requested promptly, or performance concerns remain undocumented. Without aligned processes, employers may unintentionally treat employees inconsistently, which can lead to compliance issues or misuse of protected leave.

Balancing compliance with performance pulls

One of the biggest challenges in the HR Bermuda Triangle is knowing how to balance protected leave with legitimate performance expectations. While employees are entitled to medical leave and accommodations, those protections don’t eliminate the need to meet performance standards when they are actively working. Supervisors sometimes overcorrect—either becoming hesitant to document concerns at all out of fear of “saying the wrong thing,” or enforcing discipline too quickly without considering protected circumstances. Both extremes can create liability.

Clear communication and strong documentation help maintain this balance. Employees should understand the expectations around attendance, the process for requesting leave, and how performance issues are handled when medical factors are involved. When guidelines are transparent and consistently applied, employers can intervene early and prevent confusion or mismanagement.

The importance of training and structure as navigation tools

Training managers is essential to preventing situations from spiraling. Supervisors need to know how to recognize when a situation triggers leave protections, how to escalate concerns to HR, and how to document performance objectively without referencing medical details. When managers understand what they can—and cannot—ask, they handle conversations with more confidence and significantly lower compliance risk.

Just as important is having structured, centralized workflows for attendance tracking, leave requests, and performance documentation. When HR, managers, and payroll operate from the same playbook, the organization gains visibility into patterns and can ensure consistent handling across departments. Standard operating procedures, shared systems, and timely communication help employers stay aligned and avoid missteps that could have been prevented.

A navigational triangle with the right tools

The HR Bermuda Triangle may be complicated, but it’s not inevitable. With strong policies, proactive communication, and clear documentation practices, employers can successfully guide employees through complex situations without falling into confusion or risk. When structure and training support the process, employers remain in control, employees receive proper protections, and performance expectations stay on track.

Colleen Malmassari, a Society for Human Resource Management-Certified Professional, Professional in Human Resources, is the founder of Back40 Advisors LLC.