5.29 Attendance and Punctuality


(Adopted 6-1-1992; Revised 6-23-2003; Reaffirmed 7-14-2014, 6-13-2022)

Employees are to report to work punctually and are to work all scheduled hours.  Excessive absences or tardiness may result in disciplinary actions.

Procedures

5.29.1  General Rule (Adopted 7-14-2014; Revised 6-13-2022)

Timely and regular attendance is an expectation of performance for all employees to ensure adequate staffing, promote positive employee morale, and meet expected productivity standards throughout the College.  Employees will be held accountable for adhering to their work schedules. In the event an employee is unable to meet this expectation, they must obtain approval from their supervisor in advance of any requested schedule changes. This approval includes requests to use appropriate accruals, as well as late arrivals to or early departures from work. Supervisors have discretion to evaluate unforeseen/emergency circumstances of a tardy or absence.

5.29.2  Definitions (Adopted 7-14-2014; Revised 6-13-2022)

Absence – An employee is deemed absent when they miss the entire assigned/scheduled work shift and such time off was not scheduled/approved in advance as required by department notification procedure.

Tardy – An employee is deemed to be tardy when they:

    • Arrive to work past the assigned/scheduled work start time without prior supervisory approval.
    • Leave work prior to the end of assigned/scheduled work end time without prior supervisory approval.
    • Take an extended meal or break period without approval.

5.29.3  Request for Planned Absences (Adopted 7-14-2014; Revised 6-13-2022)

A planned absence must be approved by the supervisor in advance.  Employees should submit a request for leave using department procedures and the approved College process as far in advance as possible for a planned absence from work.  Requests should include date(s) and type of accrued leave to be used.  Requests for leave of five (5) consecutive days or more should normally be submitted a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the planned absence.

The supervisor will inform the employee as soon as possible if the request has been approved or denied.  Depending on department staffing needs, the supervisor may designate dates that leave cannot be requested.

5.29.4  Notification of Unplanned Absences or Tardiness (Revised 7-14-2014, 6-13-2022)

An unplanned absence is usually an unavoidable absence due to illness, injury, or emergency where advance notice was not possible.  Employees should notify their supervisor, according to the supervisor’s guidelines, as soon as possible in advance but generally no later than 30 minutes before their starting time if they are unable to report for work as scheduled. Such notification should include a reason for the absence or tardiness and an indication of when the employee can be expected to report for work.

Failure to notify (no call/no show) the supervisor and/or follow department procedures for any unplanned absence or tardiness may be grounds for disciplinary action.

Employees must call in for themselves except in extenuating circumstances where the employee may have someone else contact the supervisor.

At the time of notification/call, the employee must notify their supervisor when an absence is due to a documented/approved leave of absence (e.g., Military Leave, FMLA) in order to ensure appropriate tracking of leave utilization and absenteeism.  This Policy does not apply to absences covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or leaves provided as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  These exceptions are described in separate policies.

Upon return to work, employees are to complete the College approved leave request for supervisor approval.

5.29.5  Absences of More Than Three (3) Days Due to Illness (Adopted 7-14-2014; Revised 6-13-2022)

If an employee is absent due to illness for more than three (3) consecutive days or if there is a record of frequent absences due to illness, the supervisor may require that the employee submit a return to work note from the medical provider indicating the employee is fit to perform duties before returning to work.

If the employee fails to provide a return to work note as required, the employee will not be allowed to return to work, may be placed on unpaid leave, and may be subject to disciplinary action.

For absences of more than three (3) consecutive days, the supervisor and the employee are required to contact Human Resources to report the nature of the illness in order to determine if the illness is an FMLA qualifying event. Failure to contact Human Resources will impact the approval of FMLA leave and may impact job protection for absences.

5.29.6  Leaving Work Early (Adopted 7-14-2014; Revised 6-13-2022)

An employee must obtain prior permission from the supervisor in order to leave work early. An employee leaving work early without permission may be subject to disciplinary action.

5.29.7  Use of Accrued Leave for Absences (Adopted 7-14-2014)

Employees may use accrued leave during absences in accordance with Policy 5.38 Paid Leave Benefits.

Employees placed on unpaid leave may not use accrued leave.

5.29.8  Excessive Absences/Tardiness (Adopted 7-14-2014; Revised 6-13-2022)

The supervisor will utilize the College’s disciplinary guidelines for addressing excessive absences/tardiness.  Excessive absence/tardiness includes:

  1. Unplanned absences, failure to complete scheduled workdays, and/or tardiness in excess of three (3) times in a 30-day period without corresponding documentation.
  2. Exhausting accrued leave resulting in an unpaid absence that was not approved in advance.

5.29.9  Voluntary Termination (Revised 7-14-2014)

Employees who are absent from work for three (3) consecutive days without giving proper notice to the employee’s supervisor or designated administrator will be considered as having voluntarily terminated their employment with the College.