Test Your Knowledge

Q. How long must an employee be absent from work without notifying you before they are considered to have abandoned their employment?

A. Generally three days or more and they have failed to notify you or give a good reason why they are not at work. Check to see if you have an abandonment clause in the Employment Agreement.

If an employee isn’t able to get to work and can’t let you know, they are supposed to get someone to tell you on their behalf so you know what’s happened. If you haven’t heard from them, make an effort to contact them. Call their home number or mobile phone and leave a message.

All employment agreements should contain a clause on abandonment of employment. However, even with a clause you are obliged to try to find out where the employee is and whether they intend coming back to work.

Keep a record of all attempted contact and correspondence so that should there be in dispute in the future you have it all well documented.

Q. Which answer is correct A or B

If an employee’s leave application has been declined but the employee takes it anyway the employer can.

1. Notify them that they are dismissed for unauthorised absence.
2. Notify the employee to let them know the possible consequences of their actions. Ie they may be dismissed.

A. B is correct. The notification must also be in writing. If the employee still does not return to work then a disciplinary process must be followed before potentially reaching the conclusion that you will dismiss them for being absent without authority.