Job Abandonment Policy

HR Hat

We are planning to add a Job Abandonment policy, where, if an employee does not show up for work or call in for 3 consecutive days, it is considered a voluntary resignation.

For those of you with such a policy, do you have a list of extenuating circumstances that trump the policy (FMLA-type situation, bad car accident, etc.),or do I just need another cup of coffee this morning?

Jim

Still Need Coffee

Our policy doesn't give any exceptions for extenuating circumstances, and we encourage our employees to give their significant other/emergency contact our # so that someone can call in the event of an FMLA-type situation. Here's what ours says:

No Call/No Show
If you fail to call in and show up on any day that you are scheduled to report to work, this will be considered a “no call/no show.” If you have three (3) business days of consecutive no call/no show absences, you will be considered to have abandoned your job and will be immediately terminated.

NaeNae55

I wouldn't put exceptions in the policy. As a business, you can make exceptions on a case by case basis. If you put exceptions in your policy they you will constantly be trying to figure out if the circumstances fit (and having employees working it so they do fit). Instead, your employee can explain later what happened and you can rescind the termination if you feel it is warranted.

HR Hat

Thank you for posting your policy. I appreciate you doing that!

Jim

HR Hat

Oops. . . didn't see your comment, NaeNae55.

I had that feeling in the back of my mind about spending all my time investigating, negotiating, etc. with employees. I may make it simpler. Thanks!

Jim

Dutch2

We have basically the same policy but I do not recall ever using it to term anyone. We are a smaller company about 150 employees, so if someone is scheduled to work and they do not show up, chances are their supervisor is on the phone trying to reach them to make sure they are ok and nothing serious has happened to them or their family.

cnghr

Wow, we are really strict compared to most companies. We don't have a written policy, but our unwritten policy (determined by what's been our practice for many years) is that if you are a no call/no show [U]once[/U], you're termed for job abandonment, although the supervisor will make an effort to find the employee by phone, text, or reaching their emergency contact person. If someone contacted us after the fact and there were extenuating circumstances, then we would reinstate them to their job, but in all the years I've worked in this position, that's never happened.

ACU Frank

Nae is spot on. Don't include exceptions. The rare 3-day coma is not worth elaborating on in the policy.