FAQ – Unauthorized Absences
Q. We have an employee who has been unauthorized absences, and claims she has been attending doctors appointments. We have requested that this employee supply us with Doctors notes to verify these appointments, but to date she has not provided us with them. How should we proceed?
A. This situation can be very damaging to your Company’s productivity levels. First of all, it is important that you do get the doctor’s notes, because you don''t want to take any sort of action until you find out if she is really sick or not. You should also document these unauthorized absences and let the employee know that this behavior is not acceptable and that she must inform you when she will be taking time off.
In addition to this you should document these warnings, in case you decide to terminate this employee. This documentation will come in handy if the employee takes legal action. It may also be a good idea to have some sort of employee absenteeism/attendance policy in place.
It would also be a good idea to contact your organizations legal council to ensure you are in compliance with your states labor laws and to investigate any further course of action such as termination.