Attendance Policy
The University expects employees to be at work as scheduled and to avoid unscheduled absences whenever possible. In an effort to provide advice to supervisors regarding absenteeism and to balance the employee’s paid leave protection against the university’s right to a reasonable standard of attendance, the following guidelines are provided.
Guidelines
Supervisor’s Responsibility
- Climate: Establish a favorable climate for good attendance. The key to the development of a favorable climate is in employees’ understanding of why good attendance is important, that is, the ways in which absenteeism interferes with workflow and unfairly imposes on others. Generally, the supervisor who successfully conveys to each employee that his/her work is important and appreciated contributes to motivating good attendance.
- Records: Establish a system for recording attendance to maintain awareness of attendance patterns. A simple chart e.g., the Monthly Leave Report issued by Human Resources can be used to record attendance/absences for each employee. The data should be maintained consistently and accurately. This will enable the supervisor to work with the employee as soon as problematic attendance is identified.
- Standards: Because the needs of each department may vary, there is no set formula for establishing standards of attendance. The total number of days absent is not as significant as the frequency of incidents. However, unscheduled absences averaging one day per month should be considered excessive, except when the average is increased by a lengthy absence associated with a verified extended disability.
- Communications: Standards for attendance and the system for recording attendance should be defined and communicated on a continuing basis to all employees in the department. When frequency of unscheduled absences becomes problematic, the issue should be addressed promptly with the employee, and appropriate action taken. (See policies on Employee Discipline and Medical Leave of Absence.) Follow-ups should be built into the system to show serious intent. In interviewing job applicants, the supervisor should stress the university’s interest in, and the importance of, good attendance.
- Health Problems: If an employee’s general health is causing frequent or regular absences, employees should be directed to contact Human Resources. Absences of three or more consecutive days should be reported to Human Resources. If an employee has physical limitations, these must be in writing from a physician and approved by Human Resources. The existence of an illness or injury may support continued use of sick leave under the FMLA, a leave without pay to provide time for rehabilitation if sick leave benefits are exhausted, or eligibility for long-term disability. However, if employees continue to be unavailable for work due to frequent and/or extended absences that are not eligible for Family Medical Leave, their employment may be terminated. In all cases, supervisors should call the Human Resources Benefits department for guidance.