Objective

The purpose of this policy is to set forth The Fire Society’s policy and procedures for handling employee absences to promote the efficient operation of the company and minimize unscheduled absences.

This policy does not apply to absences covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or leave provided as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or state equivalents. These exceptions are described in separate policies.

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Definitions

 

• “Absence” is the failure of an employee to report for work when they are scheduled to work. The term Absence includes a Full Day Absence, a Late Arrival, an Early Departure, or a No Call / No Show.

• “Grace Period” – arriving between 1 minute and 14 minutes after the scheduled starting time. This time is provided to accommodate minor delays. This grace period is intended for unforeseen circumstances and should not be used habitually. Repeated tardiness, even within the grace period, may be subject to corrective action per the attendance policy.

 

• “Late Arrival” – arriving between 15 minutes and 1 hour after the scheduled starting time.

• “Early Departure” – leaving prior to the scheduled end time without approval from your direct supervisor.

• “Full Day Absence” – Missing a scheduled workday or arriving more than one hour after the scheduled start time. Note: If an employee arrives more than 1 hour late and work is available, they may still work; however, points will be assessed per the attendance policy.

• “No Call / No Show” – not showing up for a scheduled work shift and notifying your supervisor that you will not be in attendance

• “Excused Absence” – In order for an absence to be excused, one of the following conditions must be met:

If you are anticipating being late or absent, you should notify your direct supervisor with as much notice as possible. Providing notice of tardiness or absence is required, but does not necessarily excuse it. Failure to do so may result in progressive counseling. Please refer to your “Proper Call Out Procedure” policy.

Employees must provide their supervisor with sufficient notice of at least 14 days in advance for any planned absences. All absence requests must be approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor.

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Certain exceptions may apply for requests made with less than 14 days' notice. These exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may require supporting documentation. Examples of qualifying exceptions include, but are not limited to:

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• Short notice for urgent immigration-related appointments (e.g., consular interviews, biometric appointments)

• Unexpected legal obligations (e.g., court appearances, jury duty notices received on short notice)

• Transportation emergencies requiring immediate attention

• Housing emergencies requiring immediate attention

 

Even if an absence qualifies for an exception, requests submitted less than five (5) days before the requested absence may not be granted due to business needs and scheduling constraints. If the request is denied and the employee still needs to be absent, the absence will be considered Unexcused Absence and will result in the accrual of one (1) attendance point in accordance with the company’s attendance policy.

Employees should communicate with their supervisor as soon as possible when such circumstances arise and provide any necessary documentation upon request. If it is necessary for an employee to be absent from work (including a late, or early departure) because of a covered Sick Leave reason, the employee must notify their supervisor as soon as possible, and not later than at least two hours before the employee’s scheduled starting time on that same day. If exigent circumstances exist such that advance notice of two hours is not possible, notice must be as soon as practicable. In such circumstances, employees should inform their supervisor the reason for their absence (including a late arrival or early departure) is a covered Sick Leave reason.

“Unexcused Absence” – when none of the above conditions for an Excused Absence are met.
“Covered Sick Leave Reason” – (i) diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition of, or preventative care for an employee or an employee’s family member; or (ii) for an employee who is the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, the purposes described in subdivision (c) of Section 230 and subdivision (a) of Section 230.1 of the California Labor Code.

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Medical Certification
Employees with three or more consecutive workdays of Excused Absences for a covered Sick Leave reason may be required to give The Fire Society proof of physician’s care and a fitness for duty release prior to returning to work.

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Unexcused Absences
Punctual and regular attendance is an essential responsibility of each employee at The Fire Society. Employees are expected to report to work and return from breaks as scheduled, on time and prepared to start working. Employees are also expected to remain at work for their
entire work schedule, except when on a meal or rest break. Unexcused Full Day Absences, Unexcused Late Arrivals, Unexcused Early Departures or other deviations from scheduled hours are disruptive and must be avoided whenever possible. If employees cannot report to work on time or work their shift as scheduled, they must notify their supervisor as soon as possible. This notification may not excuse an occurrence but notifies the supervisor that a schedule change may be necessary.

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Attendance Point System
Points will be assessed for Unexcused Absences as described below.

 

 

 

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No Call / No Show

All employees must inform their department of an absence when possible. An employee who fails to notify their supervisor of any absence in accordance with the company’s attendance policy will be subject to corrective action as follows:

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• 1 day of No Call / No Show for an Unexcused Absence counts as 3 points for the purpose of discipline under this policy.

• Should this occur, the employee will have their Nowsta account deactivated without notification. It will then be up to the employee to reach out to their supervisor to discuss Nowsta account reactivation and disciplinary action.

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Disciplinary Action
Employees will be subject to disciplinary action when the total points accumulated from violations of the attendance policy reach the following levels during any rolling 12-month period. Seven points in a rolling 12-month period are considered grounds for termination.

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Employees receiving corrective action under this policy are expected to improve their attendance and punctuality. Failure to improve and sustain improvement may result in the employee receiving additional correction, up to and including termination.

Early Clock-In Policy
Employees are not permitted to clock-in more than 5 minutes prior to their scheduled start time unless pre-approved by a supervisor. Unauthorized early clock-ins may be subject to disciplinary action.

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Job Abandonment
Any employee who fails to report to work for a period of three days or more without notifying their supervisor will be considered to have abandoned the job and voluntarily terminated the employment relationship.

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Interaction with Leave Laws
Employees taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act or other state or federal protected leave are expected to provide notice of absences in accordance with company policy. Failure to provide notice absent extenuating circumstances may result in disciplinary action as described above.

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Disclaimer
The Company retains the right to add, modify, or delete policies as it deems appropriate without obtaining another person’s consent or agreement. This policy supersedes any and all prior policies, written documents or oral representations of this subject matter.