Purpose and Scope
This policy sets attendance expectations for all employees at [Organisation Name] and outlines procedures for reporting planned or unplanned absences and lateness. Scheduling practices follow [Location Scheduling Practice].
Nothing in this policy creates an employment contract or changes the at-will employment relationship at [Organisation Name].
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our FMLA & Family Leave Policy Template, US Paid Sick Leave Policy Template and Absence Management Policy Template.
Responsibilities
- Employees: Follow assigned work schedules, log time accurately, and report absences or delays using required notification procedures.
- [Manager / Duty Manager]: Receive absence reports, adjust schedules, document attempts to reach missing staff, and enforce policy standards consistently.
- [HR / Designated Role]: Evaluate potential protected absences, manage accommodation processes, review attendance data, keep official records, and advise on corrective action.
Attendance Expectations
- Arrive at your assigned workstation, ready to work, at your scheduled start time.
- Work your full scheduled shift. Leaving early or taking unauthorized long breaks counts as an attendance issue.
- Log working hours accurately in [Timekeeping System]. Falsifying time records is a conduct violation, not an attendance matter.
- Request planned absences (like vacations or scheduled appointments) in advance through [System / Process] per [PTO Policy].
Reporting an Unplanned Absence
- Contact [Manager / Duty Manager] via [Communication Method] as early as possible, and at least [Time Period] before your shift starts.
- Explain the situation, your estimated return date, and any urgent tasks that need coverage.
- Call in each day of a multi-day absence unless you agreed on a set duration with [Manager / HR] or have approved leave.
- If an emergency prevents you from calling personally, a representative may contact [Organisation Name] for you.
- After a sick leave lasting [Duration], meet with [Manager] before starting work to review missed tasks, confirm fitness for duty, and discuss any needed workplace adjustments.
Lateness and Early Departures
- If you expect to be late, notify [Manager / Communication Channel] before your start time and give an estimated arrival time.
- Managers address initial unapproved early departures and repeated tardiness informally. Continued issues lead to formal steps under [Progressive Discipline Policy].
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No-Call / No-Show Protocol
- A no-call/no-show occurs when an employee misses a scheduled shift without notifying management.
- [Manager] will attempt to reach the employee that day and log every attempt.
- Missing [Number] consecutive scheduled shifts without contact may be treated as a voluntary resignation, subject to law.
- Before processing job abandonment, [Organisation Name] will verify that managers made real contact attempts and check if protected circumstances prevented communication.
Protected Absences
Legally protected absences do not count toward attendance tracking, points systems, or disciplinary actions. Route absences that may qualify under the following categories to [HR / Designated Role]:
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, if eligible.
- Disability accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), managed through [Accommodation Process].
- Sick leave protected by state or local paid sick leave laws, respecting statutory limits on doctor notes.
- Jury duty, voting time, military service, and other legal leave.
- Send any uncertain absence cases to [HR / Designated Role] for review before taking disciplinary action.
Attendance Issues and Discipline
- Managers will address pattern absences, frequent tardiness, or late call-offs early and informally to identify underlying causes.
- Unprotected, ongoing attendance issues follow [Progressive Discipline Policy], using its steps as flexible guidelines.
- If [Organisation Name] uses a points system, details live in [Location Points System Guidance]. Protected absences never accrue points.
Records and Policy Review
- Attendance records, call-off logs, and related files stay in [System / Location] for [Retention Period].
- [Role] reviews attendance data [Frequency] to check consistency across departments and spot trends.
- We review this policy [Frequency] or whenever statutory paid sick leave rules change.
- Policy Owner: [Role]
- Next Review Date: [Date]
FAQs on an attendance policy
What is an attendance policy?
An attendance policy sets attendance expectations for all employees at your organisation and outlines procedures for reporting planned or unplanned absences and lateness. Scheduling practices follow your site.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does an attendance policy include?
This template covers attendance expectations, reporting an unplanned absence, lateness and early departures and no-call / no-show protocol.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement an attendance policy with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.
