Absenteeism Policy

An absenteeism policy lays out the rules and procedures a company uses to cut down on missed work days. It typically lists acceptable reasons for missing work, such as illness, injury, or approved time off, along with the disciplinary steps that apply when someone is absent or late too often. Because missed days hurt productivity, enforcing a policy like this saves the company money.

What it covers

The term covers any workplace rule tied to attendance or tardiness, including paid time off, vacation days, sick leave, and parental or other leave. It also covers what happens procedurally when an employee goes over the allowed number of absences. A well-designed attendance policy cuts down on missed days without being unreasonable, since people do get sick, take vacations, and need to see a doctor.