07-07.55 鈥� Unauthorized/Unscheduled Absence Policy

  1. Policy Statement:

    An employee is expected to be present for work as scheduled, and satisfactorily functioning during their work hours. At times it may be necessary for an employee to be off work unexpectedly for any reason. However, the employee is required to obtain leave approval from the supervisor, or the supervisor鈥檚 designee. If an employee needs to stop work for any reason before the end of their scheduled hours, prior to departing the workplace the employee must notify their supervisor, or the designee concerning their inability to continue work, and obtain approval for the use of leave. Failure to obtain the supervisor鈥檚 or designee鈥檚 approval to use any leave shall result in the employee being recorded on an unauthorized or unscheduled absence. This policy does not apply to faculty. 

  2. Reason for Policy:

    To outline the course of action regarding the use of an unauthorized or unscheduled absence from the workplace. 

  3. Definitions: 

    1. 鈥淯nauthorized Absences鈥� are absences from the workplace that are not in accordance with a request for leave, which has been approved by the employee鈥檚 supervisor or designee. Unauthorized absence occurs when: 

      1. An employee did not obtain supervisory approval for an absence. 

      2. An employee calls-in to his/her supervisor or designee later than within ten minutes of the employees start time. 

    2. 鈥淯nscheduled Absences鈥� are absences from the workplace when an employee fails to call-in that he/she will be absent or fails to report for duty or call-in within the prescribed time limits. Unscheduled absence occurs when:

      An employee did not call, or report for duty, or fails to notify the workplace to indicate that they will not be reporting for duty as scheduled is considered a 鈥渘o call/no show.鈥� 

    3. 鈥淯nforeseen Absences鈥� are verifiable unforeseen absences which become necessary after the employee reports to work (such as having pick up a child who becomes sick at school and for which the supervisor or designee would grant approval for leave). 

    4. 鈥淛ob Abandonment鈥� means an employee has been absent for five (5) or more consecutive days without prior notice to the supervisor or department. 

    5. 鈥淯苍颈惫别谤蝉颈迟测鈥� means Towson University. 

    6. 鈥淯厂惭鈥� means the University System of Maryland 

  4. Responsible Executive and Office:

    Responsible Executive:
    Associate Vice President of Human Resources

    Responsible Office:
    Office of Human Resources 

  5. Entities Affected by this Policy:

    All regular and contingent employees, excepting faculty. 

  6. Procedures: 

    1. Documentation: 

      1. Documentation: It is the responsibility of the employee to provide his/her supervisor, or designee, with appropriate information and/or satisfactory documentation regarding an unauthorized or unscheduled absence from work in order that the time may be properly charged to available accrued annual, compensatory, holiday, personal or sick leave, or leave without pay if all accrued leave is exhausted. Unforeseen absences are excluded from the scope of this policy; however, the supervisor or designee retains the right to require acceptable proof to verify the legitimacy of the leave for an unforeseen absence in order to determine if an exception is warranted. 

      2. Leave Request: All regular and contingent employees are required to comply with their department鈥檚 internal procedures for requesting time off from work. 

      3. Medical Certification/Verification: Medical certification/verification is a signed statement from a treating health care provider to validate an employee鈥檚, or an employees鈥� family member鈥檚 condition, or other cause for which sick leave, family medical leave, or a medical leave of absence could be granted. The health care provider signing the medical documentation must be appropriately and currently board certified. The medical certificate must provide information regarding the individual's prognosis to return to work, any functional limitations, the duration of the absence, and any follow-up appointments or treatment plans related to time off from work. An employee may submit the documentation to his/her supervisor or designee, or the Senior Benefits Specialist in the Office of Human Resources, if he/she informs the supervisor of the submission. 

    2. Accrued Leave:

      1. Regular and contingent employees are eligible for leave with pay for authorized use of their accrued annual, compensatory, holiday, personal or sick leave in accordance with applicable University and USM policies. Annual, compensatory and holiday leave shall be scheduled consistent with the operational needs of the department and with prior approval from the supervisor, or designee. 

      2. Sick leave is to be used for the personal illness, or a non-work-related injury of an employee or an employee鈥檚 qualifying family members鈥� illness or death, in accordance with applicable University and USM policies. 

      3. It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain adequate leave balances to appropriately account for their absence from the workplace, or arrange for a leave of absence without pay from their supervisor or designee and submitted to Human Resources for approval. Failure to do so could result in the employee being considered in an unauthorized or unscheduled absence status. 

    3. 鈥淣o Show-No Call鈥� - Not Reporting For Duty - Job Abandonment:

      An employee is required to notify his/her supervisor or designee of an illness, injury, or inability to work for any reason, within 10 minutes of the employee's normal start time. Should an employee fail to properly notify his/her supervisor, or designee, for five (5) or more consecutive workdays, it will be considered as job abandonment, which may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

    4. Consequences:

      An unauthorized or unscheduled absence may result in one of the following actions being imposed on an employee: 

      1. A warning letter and leave without pay for the period of the absence for the first occurrence within a twelve (12) month period. 

      2. A letter of reprimand and leave without pay for the period of the absence for the second occurrence within a twelve (12) month period. 

      3. Disciplinary suspension for the period of the absence for any occurrences following the second occurrence within a twelve (12) month period. 

      4. Termination of employment if the employee incurs multiple infractions, or his/her attendance record is unacceptable, or he/she is deemed to have abandoned his/her job as described in Section C above. 

Related Policies:

TU Policy 07-06.10, Hours of Work and Attendance

TU Policy 07-07.30, Holiday Leave

TU Policy 07-07.40, Accident Leave

Approval Date: 06/14/2011

Effective Date: 06/14/2011

Approved By: President鈥檚 Council 05/31/2011

Signed By: President鈥檚 Council

How to Request the Policy PDF

This online version of the policy may include updated links and names of departments. To request a PDF of the original, signed version of this policy, email the Office of the General Counsel, .