Centerspace believes that team members should be reliable and prompt in their attendance to work.  Chronic and/or excessive absenteeism or patterns of tardiness jeopardize Centerspace’s ability to meet customers’ needs, impacts the morale of other team members, and disrupts operations.  To limit these impacts, Centerspace expects all team members be punctual at the start of each scheduled workday, when returning to work from breaks, and when leaving at the end of their scheduled shift.  While exempt team members may have more flexible schedules, all team members are expected to communicate with their managers, report time off for paid leave in accordance with Centerspace policies, and comply with the Excessive or Chronic Tardiness or Absenteeism and Job Abandonment sections below.

Tardiness

Tardiness is defined for the purpose of this policy as:

  • Reporting to work or logging into the timekeeping system any time after the team member's scheduled start time.
  • Failure to return from breaks within the scheduled timeframe.

Team Member’s Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each team member to notify their manager promptly, at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, when possible, with the reason for being tardy and, if appropriate, a time when the team member will be at work or return to work.  Notification may be done by telephone, voice mail, text, or e-mail, according to the manager’s preference. 

Absenteeism

Unapproved Absence is defined for the purpose of this policy as any time a team member is:

  • Unable to report to work; and/or
  • Fails to show for work during their scheduled workday, scheduled/approved overtime, scheduled/approved holiday worked time; and/or
  • Leaves before the end of a scheduled shift without manager approval; and/or
  • Takes leave that was requested but not approved by the manager.

Any type of pre-approved scheduled leave is not considered an unapproved absence.  In addition, team members on an approved Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave or approved workers’ compensation leave, who follow the approved call-in procedure as directed by Talent & Culture, will not be subject to disciplinary action under this policy for time designated as FMLA leave and/or worker’s compensation leave.

Failure to Report is defined for the purpose of this policy as any time a team member calls in later than 30 minutes prior to their scheduled reporting time, to inform management that they will not be at work.  This applies to all types of scheduled work, including approved overtime and approved holiday worked time.  

Proper notification will include:

  • The reason for the absence and why it could not have been pre-approved, and
  • A return date; however,
  • If a return date is not known the team member must contact their manager each day of the absence.

Notification may be done by telephone, voice mail, text, or e-mail, according to the manager’s preference. 

No Call No Show is defined for the purpose of this policy as any time a team member fails to show for work and does not contact their manager prior to the end of the shift that they were scheduled to work, including approved overtime and approved holiday worked time, when applicable. 

Team Member’s Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each team member to work their scheduled workday, including approved overtime and approved holiday worked time.  However, Centerspace recognizes that on occasion this will not be possible; therefore, when an absence is foreseeable it is the responsibility of the team member to notify their manager as soon as possible, at least 30 minutes prior to their scheduled reporting time when possible.  Reporting an absence outside of this timeframe may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. 

Management’s Best Practice

Direct managers are responsible for monitoring absences for their team members and coding the absences accurately for pay purposes.  If trends are noticed for a team member, such as a pattern of excessive or chronic tardiness or absences or job abandonment, management, in conjunction with Talent & Culture, will take prompt corrective disciplinary action, up to and including termination. 

Excessive or Chronic Tardiness or Absenteeism*

Excessive/chronic tardiness or absenteeism may emerge as a pattern or trend, which may include, but is not limited to:

  • Unapproved early departures,
  • Unapproved extended lunch hours,
  • Unscheduled and/or unapproved paid/unpaid absences,
  • Absences before or after weekends and/or holidays, or
  • Patterns of combined absenteeism and/or tardiness.

Episode is defined for the purpose of this policy as:

  • One occasion of absence or tardiness; or
  • Multiple absences or tardiness for the same reason, within a reasonable time period.

Excessive/Chronic Tardiness is defined for the purposes of this policy as:

  • 2 or more episodes of tardiness in a 30-day period.

Excessive/Chronic Absenteeism is defined for the purposes of this policy as:

  • 2 or more episodes* of absenteeism in a 30-day period.

*Team members on an approved Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave or approved workers’ compensation leave who follow the approved call-in procedure as noted in this policy will not be subject to disciplinary action under this policy for time designated as FMLA Leave and/or workers’ compensation leave.

Job Abandonment

Job abandonment occurs when a team member fails to show for work and fails to notify their manager for 3 consecutively scheduled workdays.   The manager should attempt to contact the team member daily when a team member fails to show for work without notice.   Job abandonment will be documented as voluntary termination. 

Physician’s Statement

As addressed under Centerspace’s Paid Time Off Policy, management may request a physician’s statement to document the absence.  Failure to provide requested documentation may result in a return-to-work delay and/or disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Violation of this Policy

Centerspace reserves the right to impose any type of discipline up to and including termination with or without the use of coaching, a performance improvement plan, and/or corrective discipline based on its assessment of the situation.  Thus, Centerspace is not required to follow any particular steps in disciplining a team member. Nothing in these procedures changes the at-will employment relationship between Centerspace and its team members, in an at-will state.

Attendance and Punctuality Policy offenses are subject to Centerspace’s Performance Improvement Plan and Corrective Discipline Policy.  Generally, warnings for violation of this policy are kept for corrective discipline and performance review purposes in the team member's personnel file.

Policy Owned By: Talent & Culture

Also found in the Centerspace Policy Manual.