What is your organization's attendance policy?

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Jun 2, 2023

I don't think my organization's policy will help you make anything clearer, but here it is. However, it is completely unenforced and therefore about as useful as tits on a bull as one of my favorite techs says often.

For all unscheduled absences, tardiness and early departures not covered under the CT Sick Leave Law, corrective action will be administered for occurrences as indicated below.

Tardiness/Early Departure: Three (3) occasions will equal one occurrence of an unscheduled absence. Partial Absence: Two (2) occurrences will equal one full occurrence of an unscheduled absence.

• Level I--Documented Warning: Issued once an employee has two (2) occurrences of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period or exceeds 40 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year.

• Level II-Written Warning: Issued on the third (3rd) occurrence of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period.

• Level III--Final Warning: Issued on the fourth (4th) occurrence of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period.

• Level IV--Termination: Issued on the fifth (5th) occurrence of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period. Note: When determining the level of corrective action, managers will consider all accrued occurrences on a 12-month rolling calendar (with the exception of time protected by CT Sick Leave law). Managers may move to a higher level of corrective action upon review by Human Resources.

JKL33 · Jun 3, 2023

Was just going to say I think the wording you might be looking for is rolling #month time period, like the policy posted above.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 5, 2023

Ours is 7 unscheduled absences in a rolling calendar. A meeting with "counseling" is called after 4. I am not sure what happens after that.

I have intermittent FMLA in case my kids have an issue (both are Type 1 diabetics).

Also, if you call out one day, due to an illness and you are going to miss the next day because of the same thing, it is only counted as one occurrence.

JBMmom said:

Level IV--Termination: Issued on the fifth (5th) occurrence of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period. Note: When determining the level of corrective action, managers will consider all accrued occurrences on a 12-month rolling calendar (with the exception of time protected by CT Sick Leave law). Managers may move to a higher level of corrective action upon review by Human Resources.

This is INSANE!! Especially after covid. terminated after 5 absences in a year is awful.

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 6, 2023

JBMmom said:

I don't think my organization's policy will help you make anything clearer, but here it is. However, it is completely unenforced and therefore about as useful as tits on a bull as one of my favorite techs says often.

For all unscheduled absences, tardiness and early departures not covered under the CT Sick Leave Law, corrective action will be administered for occurrences as indicated below.

Tardiness/Early Departure: Three (3) occasions will equal one occurrence of an unscheduled absence. Partial Absence: Two (2) occurrences will equal one full occurrence of an unscheduled absence.

• Level I--Documented Warning: Issued once an employee has two (2) occurrences of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period or exceeds 40 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year.

• Level II-Written Warning: Issued on the third (3rd) occurrence of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period.

• Level III--Final Warning: Issued on the fourth (4th) occurrence of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period.

• Level IV--Termination: Issued on the fifth (5th) occurrence of an unscheduled absence in a rolling 12 month period. Note: When determining the level of corrective action, managers will consider all accrued occurrences on a 12-month rolling calendar (with the exception of time protected by CT Sick Leave law). Managers may move to a higher level of corrective action upon review by Human Resources.

Holy hell! You get a documented warning after TWO absences in TWELVE MONTHS? That's CRAY!

Thanks, though! That is exactly the wording I was looking for. Except with different numbers, of course!

One question - is there wording in your policy that differentiates between "tardiness/early departure" and "partial absence"? Like, if it's less than an hour, it's considered "tardy/early departure," and if it's greater than an hour but less than a whole shift, it's a "partial absence"?

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Jun 8, 2023

klone said:

Holy hell! You get a documented warning after TWO absences in TWELVE MONTHS? That's CRAY!

It may seem crazy, but as I mentioned, it is NEVER enforced. I have a coworker who called out, sometimes within two hours of the shift, at least 1-2 times a month for the past three years and nothing has ever happened.

I couldn't find any wording related to the different between the two. I guess it's just up to the individual managers to decide. Great plan, huh?

mmc51264 said:

This is INSANE!! Especially after covid. terminated after 5 absences in a year is awful.

It would be awful if it ever happened. But it's not enforced so it doesn't happen. I have a coworker with at least 15-20 absences over the past year and not even a warning was issued. It's stupid that it's even listed as a policy.

sideshowstarlet, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2023

mmc51264 said:

Ours is 7 unscheduled absences in a rolling calendar. A meeting with "counseling" is called after 4. I am not sure what happens after that.

I have intermittent FMLA in case my kids have an issue (both are Type 1 diabetics).

Also, if you call out one day, due to an illness and you are going to miss the next day because of the same thing, it is only counted as one occurrence.

This is INSANE!! Especially after covid. terminated after 5 absences in a year is awful.

Covid would likely be covered by the CT Paid Sick Leave Law, so likely wouldn't be subject to disciplinary action.