POLICY and PROCEDURE MANUAL
CHAPTER: Human Resources
TITLE: Absenteeism and Tardiness
RELATED ACA STANDARDS:

NUMBER:
3.2.4
SUPERSEDES:
06/25/08

POLICY
It is the policy of GEO to maintain the safety of the facility through adequate staffing by
requiring timely reporting for duty and limited absenteeism. It is also the policy of GEO to
discourage tardiness and absence from work without advanced supervisory authorization.
DEFINITIONS
Sick Leave. Sick leave is strictly defined as absence necessitated by personal illness, emergency
visits to a doctor or dentist, or instances where it is impossible to schedule such visits during off
duty hours. GEO also permits accrued sick leave to be used by the employee to care for an ill
family member who is dependent upon that employee for care and safety.
Indiscriminate Sick Leave. Indiscriminate sick leave abuse (defined as ‘pattern’ absence where
the employee is absent immediately before and/or after scheduled days off or calling in sick, but
attending social events or educational classes or working other jobs eight hours before or after
the missed shift) or chronic absence for other reasons (such as personal business, emergency
vacation, etc.) is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Prearranged Leave.
Leave requests for any reasons other than illness are labeled as
Prearranged Leave. Requests by employees for Prearranged Leave must be discussed with the
department supervisor/manager prior to taking (see policy 3.4.1 Paid Time Off and 3.4.2 Unpaid
Leave of Absence). All requests for Prearranged Leave shall be requested as soon as the
employee becomes aware of the need for leave and at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the
requested absence whenever possible. The request shall be made in writing and shall include the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Name of employee, date, assigned shift
Expected dates of absence
Reason for absence
Location and phone number where employee can be reached or where a message can be left.

Tardiness. Tardiness is reporting to work more than five (5) minutes after your scheduled
reporting time. A pattern of failure to report on time for duty will be subject to corrective action,
up to and including termination.
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Tardiness may be excused or non-excused, as determined by supervisors. The determination will
be based on feasibility of excuse, length of tardiness and frequency of past tardiness. If deemed
necessary, supervisors may require employees to provide substantiation of acceptable excuses
(i.e. receipt for towing service, flat tire repair receipt, etc.).

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NUMBER: 3.2.4

PROCEDURE
1. Employee Responsibilities For Notifying Facility of Absence/Tardy:
Employees are expected to report to work promptly the day before and after a holiday (if those
are regularly scheduled work days) in order to be paid for the holiday (for more information,
please refer to policy 3.4.1, Paid Time Off) unless previously excused by proper authority.
a. Contact facility at least two (2) hours before the start of an assigned shift to inform the
control room or other designated post of his/her inability to report to work. This will be
followed for each day the employee is unable to report for duty. The information may not be
left as a voicemail message, and the employee must speak to a “live” contact. The calls will
only be accepted from the employee and not from family members, friends, etc. on behalf of
the employee unless it is totally impossible for the employee to call in for themselves. The
employee must provide the specific reason for absence or tardy and the anticipated date/time
of return to work whenever possible.
b. State a location and phone number where they can be reached during their shift by the
supervisor or other employees in order to allow confirmation of the employee’s condition
and to communicate any other necessary information. If the employee leaves the provided
location during the assigned shift, he/she must notify the supervisor of his/her destination and
new phone number.
c. If the employee is unable to report at the scheduled starting time because of a vehicle
breakdown, accident or other unusual circumstance beyond his/her control, the facility must
be notified as soon as possible.
d. Obtain and Sign a Sick Leave Certification (HR 830) certifying in writing the reason(s) for
his/her absence upon return to work. By signing the form, the employee acknowledges that
falsification of the information concerning the reason(s) for his/her absence constitutes
grounds for termination of employment. The Sick Leave Certification will be returned to the
Shift Supervisor, who will deliver the certification to the HR Department to be filed in the
employee’s personnel file.
e. The above procedures must be followed each assigned workday that the employee does not
report to work on account of illness or injury, even if the employee is expected to be absent
for multiple days. Failure to comply with the procedure will constitute an unauthorized
absence/tardy occurrence subject to disciplinary action up to, and including, termination.
f. Employee absences of three or more consecutive assigned workdays due to illness/injury
may require a physician’s certificate upon returning to work. Failure to produce such
documentation, if requested, will subject the employee to denial of pay for those days for
unauthorized absence, and/or disciplinary action, up to, and including, termination.
2. Supervisor’s Responsibilities
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NUMBER: 3.2.4

In addition to finding a replacement for an absent employee, the supervisory staff shall comply
with the following procedures concerning the use of sick leave by employees:
a. Upon receiving a call from an employee indicating the employee’s inability to report to work
due to illness injury, the employee’s on-duty supervisor shall complete, in triplicate, a
Employee Notification/Call-In Sheet (HR-828), noting the following information:






Name of employee, date, assigned shift
Time call is received
Specify reason for absence, due to illness, tardy or “other” (specify)
Anticipated date and/or time of employee’s return to work
Location and phone number where employee can be reached during employee’s
assigned shift, including and subsequent changes in location/number

b. The employee’s on-duty supervisor shall retain one copy of the Employee Notification/CallIn Sheet (HR-828) and disseminate one copy each to the Payroll and Human Resources
Department.
c. Later during the shift, the Supervisor shall telephone the absent employee to confirm that
employee is in fact at the indicated location.
3. Human Resources Responsibilities
a. Review Employee Notification/Call-In Sheet (HR-828) and Sick Leave Certification (HR830) forms weekly for coordination of benefits (see policy 3.4.1 Paid Time Off and 3.4.2
Unpaid Leave of Absence).
b. Review employee time and attendance infractions weekly with the Facility Administrator to
facilitate appropriate disciplinary action, if necessary.
Disciplinary Action
Unauthorized Absences
a. First Offense: One (1) day suspension, or an equitable reduction in hourly pay for a period
not to exceed two weeks, with written documentation in personnel file.
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b. Second Offense: Five (5) day suspension, or an equitable reduction in hourly pay for a
period not to exceed two weeks, with written documentation in personnel file.
-

NOTE: REDUCTION IN PAY IS NOT AN OPTION ON THOSE FACILITIES THAT
ARE GOVERNED BY WAGE DETERMINATION.
c. Third Offense: Termination.
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NUMBER: 3.2.4

Job Abandonment
Failure to report for scheduled work assignments for two (2) consecutive workdays without
authorization will be considered job abandonment, and the employee will be subjected to
voluntary termination, except in unusual circumstances beyond the employee’s control.
Tardiness
The Human Resources Representative will maintain a record of each employee’s tardy
occurrence. The following actions will be taken based on the number of unexcused tardy
occurrences within a six (6) month period.
a. First recorded tardiness - verbal counseling by the supervisor and a notation on the
employee’s performance card.
b. Second recorded tardiness - second verbal counseling.
c. Third recorded tardiness - written reprimand.
d. Fourth recorded tardiness - one (1) day suspension without pay, or an equitable reduction in
hourly pay for a period not to exceed two weeks.
NOTE: REDUCTION IN PAY IS NOT AN OPTION ON THOSE FACILITIES THAT
ARE GOVERNED BY WAGE DETERMINATION.
e. Fifth recorded tardiness - termination.

APPROVED:

.
Corporate Officer

EFFECTIVE:

04/09/09

.

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