by Susan Martin
One common problem that many employers are forced to deal with is the employee who simply doesn’t show up to work their shift. How many days of unreported absence will be allowed to pass before being considered job abandonment? What impact does the decision have on an unemployment claim? Here’s how local businesses deal with AWOL employees:
Common Employer Practices
According to a 2013 survey of 204 metro St. Louis and central Illinois businesses conducted by AAIM Employers’ Association, 85% of the companies have a written “no call/no show” policy or procedure. The number of consecutive unreported days of absence that are allowed before the employer takes action is typically three days. The majority of survey respondents (92%) also indicate that the typical consequence of “no call/no show” is that the employee is considered having abandoned their job and/or voluntarily terminated their employment.
How successful are employers in defending a position of no unemployment benefits? Approximately 68% of the survey respondents indicate success in almost all cases, while another 16% of the companies indicate their unemployment challenges are successful only about half of the time. The remaining 16% of the surveyed companies are either “not very successful” or don’t even try to challenge the unemployment benefits.
Establish Policy
Having a clear policy that states the company’s absence notification procedure as well as the consequences for not showing up is important. Most importantly, make sure the policy or practice is actually applied—and applied consistently.
Susan Martin (susan.martin@aaimea.org) is member answer center coordinator for AAIM Employers’ Association, which helps Missouri and Illinois companies manage their people and processes.
Submitted 10 years 298 days ago