Attendance Policy

Regular, reliable and in-person attendance is an essential job function for Administrative Professional and Support Staff employees. Employees are expected to report to work as scheduled. 

Unauthorized absences place a burden on other employees and on institutional effectiveness. This policy does not apply to absences designated as Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave or leave provided as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act. These exceptions are described in separate policies. 

Absence 

An “absence” is an employee’s failure to report for work when scheduled to work. There are two types of absences: authorized absences and unauthorized absences. 

• • An “authorized absence” occurs when all the following conditions are met: 
    • The employee provides to their supervisor notice, as required based on the type of leave, in advance of the absence (e.g., refer to sick, vacation and personal leave policies or procedures). 
    • The absence request is approved in writing in advance by the employee’s supervisor (advance notice to supervisors does not necessarily denote approval). 
    • Prior to taking the leave, the employee has sufficient accrued leave time to cover the absence. 
  • An “unauthorized absence” occurs when any of the above conditions are not met. If an unauthorized absence is needed because of an illness or an emergency, the employee must notify their supervisor no later than the employee’s scheduled starting time on that same day. If the employee is unable to call, the employee must have someone make the call, unless the employee is unable to fulfill this obligation due to the employee’s condition.
    Please note: Supervisors will work in conjunction with HR for any employee that has exhausted accrued leave balances while on a protected leave (e.g., FMLA). 

Every absence will be deducted from employee accrued leave time, unless otherwise allowed by College policies or procedures (e.g., leave of absence, bereavement, jury duty). 

Any employee who fails to report to work for a period of four or more consecutive days without proper documentation, as determined by the College, may be considered to have abandoned the job and voluntarily terminated the employment relationship. 

In the event of a conflict between this policy and procedure and an applicable individual employment contract or collective bargaining agreement, the applicable individual employment contract or collective bargaining agreement shall govern to the extent necessary to resolve the conflict. 

Disciplinary Action 

Unauthorized absences will be tracked by each supervisor based on a twelve (12) month period, which begins on January 1 of each year. Supervisors should follow the corrective action progression described below to address unauthorized absences; each day an employee is absent shall be considered an “occurrence.” 

• • Verbal warning upon one (1) occurrence. 
  • Written warning upon two (2) total occurrences. 
  • Final warning* or three-day unpaid suspension upon three (3) total occurrences (*Exempt staff receive a final warning in lieu of suspension). 
  • Termination of employment upon four (4) total occurrences. 

Supervisors are responsible for monitoring time and attendance including identifying, documenting and attempting to correct unauthorized absences before they become excessive. Supervisors should document unauthorized absences and any resulting discipline. Excessive unauthorized absences, including partial work day absences, or other violations of this procedure may result in discipline, up to and including discharge. 

Board Action 5512 - November 6, 2023