Job Abandonment

Quite often employee attendance issues can be the easiest to identify and the most difficult to manage. Employees need to either arrive to work or provide valid reasons for not being able to work. All supervisors struggle with managing excessive absenteeism and related issues that may include tardiness and abuse of unauthorized leave time. The key is to address these issues in a timely manner before they negatively affect either the morale of your team or the operations of your school and/or department. Although attendance may be addressed within a performance evaluation, the issue may also be addressed through disciplinary means. Contact the Department of Employee Relations or your Area Human Resource Manager for assistance in documenting attendance standards and expectations, and using progressive discipline as a tool hold employees accountable to the standards and expectations set forth.

On occasion, the course of action taken by an employee with respect to their attendance may lead to job abandonment. Job abandonment may be considered when the following occurs:

1. The employee has been absent from the worksite for three (3) consecutive workdays and has not called in or received advanced approval for leave.
2. The employee has been absent from work for ten (10) consecutive workdays and has no sick leave days and has not requested use of annual leave. (Note, the employee may be calling in to report their absences.)
3. Failure to return to work following an approved leave of absence. (Contact Human Resources/Leave Office on this matter at PX 86393).
4. An employee has received written notice of the Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) related to a Workers’ Compensation Claim, and has three (3) day unpaid absence without approved leave. (Contact Nancy Patrick at PX 47440 on this matter).

Please note once the Job Abandonment letter has been issued and employee will still have the right to return to work until after job action has been taken by the Board.  The employee may still be subject to disciplinary action for failure to follow procedures regarding leaves.