1. Policy Statement
Family Promise of Puget Sound (FPOPS) recognizes that consistent attendance and punctuality are essential for effective operations, reliable service delivery to individuals, and a productive work environment. This policy outlines FPOPS’s expectations for employee attendance and punctuality, establishes clear procedures for reporting absences and tardiness, and defines the consequences for excessive or unexcused issues. These expectations apply to all employees, including those classified as exempt, as consistent presence and timely engagement are critical to our mission.
2. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to:
* Ensure consistent and reliable staffing to meet operational needs and individual service demands.
* Promote a professional and respectful work environment for all employees.
* Establish clear and consistent guidelines for managing attendance and punctuality.
* Define procedures for reporting absences and tardiness.
* Outline the consequences for non-compliance, ensuring fairness and accountability.
* Minimize disruption to workflow and individual services caused by unscheduled absences or tardiness.
3. Scope
This policy applies to all paid employees of Family Promise of Puget Sound, including full-time, part-time, temporary, and permanent employees, regardless of their exempt or non-exempt status.
4. Guiding Principles
* Reliability: Employees are expected to be reliable and present for their scheduled work hours or to fulfill their job responsibilities.
* Responsibility: Employees are responsible for managing their attendance and punctuality and for communicating promptly when issues arise.
* Fairness and Consistency: This policy will be applied consistently and fairly to all employees.
* Operational Needs: Attendance expectations are set to ensure FPOPS can effectively deliver its services and fulfill its mission.
* Communication: Open and timely communication regarding attendance is crucial.
* Support: FPOPS aims to support employees in managing legitimate absences while maintaining operational integrity.
5. Definitions
* Absence: Failure to report for a scheduled shift or to be available to perform job duties as expected.
* Tardiness: Arriving late for a scheduled shift, returning late from a break, or not being available to begin work at the designated start time.
* Excused Absence/Tardiness: An absence or tardiness that has been approved in advance by a supervisor or is covered by FPOPS policy (e.g., approved Paid Time Off (PTO), FMLA, military leave, jury duty) and properly reported.
* Unexcused Absence/Tardiness: Any absence or tardiness that is not approved in advance, not covered by FPOPS policy, or not reported according to established procedures.
* No-Call/No-Show: Failure to report for a scheduled shift or to be available for work without prior notification to the supervisor or designated contact. This is considered a serious unexcused absence.
6. Policy Guidelines and Procedures
6.1. Punctuality and Attendance Expectations
* Non-Exempt Employees: Are expected to report to work on time for all scheduled shifts and be ready to begin work at their designated start time. They must accurately record all hours worked, including start and end times, and all meal and rest breaks. Working “off the clock” is strictly prohibited.
* Exempt Employees: While not typically tracking hours for payroll or overtime, exempt employees are expected to fulfill their job duties and responsibilities, which includes being present and available during core operating hours or as required by their role to meet organizational objectives and individual needs. They are expected to manage their workload to ensure responsibilities are met in a timely and effective manner.
* All employees are expected to be present for their entire scheduled shift or to dedicate the necessary time to fulfill their responsibilities, including returning promptly from breaks and meal periods.
* Regular and consistent attendance is a fundamental expectation of all positions at FPOPS.
6.2. Reporting Absences and Tardiness
* Advance Notice for Planned Absences: For planned absences (e.g., vacation, medical appointments), employees must request and receive approval for PTO in advance, in accordance with FPOPS’s PTO policy.
* Unplanned Absences/Tardiness (Illness, Emergency):
* Employees must notify their immediate supervisor (or designated contact person if the supervisor is unavailable) as soon as possible, and no later than [Insert specific time, e.g., 30 minutes] before their scheduled start time.
* Notification should be made by phone call. Text messages or emails may be used as a secondary method if a phone call is not immediately possible, but a follow-up call is required.
* The notification should include the reason for the absence/tardiness and, if possible, the expected duration.
* Employees must provide updates if the absence extends beyond the initial estimate.
* No-Call/No-Show: Failure to notify the supervisor of an absence before the scheduled start time will be considered a “No-Call/No-Show.”
6.3. Documentation
* All absences and instances of tardiness will be recorded by the supervisor.
* Employees may be required to provide documentation (e.g., doctor’s note) for extended or frequent absences.
7. Consequences for Excessive Issues
Family Promise of Puget Sound will address excessive or unexcused absences and tardiness through a progressive disciplinary process. The severity of disciplinary action will depend on the frequency, duration, impact on operations, and nature of the attendance issues.
* Initial Instances: May result in a verbal warning and a review of attendance expectations.
* Repeated Issues: May lead to written warnings, mandatory meetings with the supervisor to develop an improvement plan, or disciplinary action up to and including suspension.
* Excessive Unexcused Absences/Tardiness: Consistent patterns of unexcused absences or tardiness that disrupt operations or violate policy may lead to termination of employment.
* No-Call/No-Show: A single instance of a No-Call/No-Show may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Two or more consecutive No-Call/No-Shows will be considered job abandonment and will result in immediate termination of employment.
This policy does not alter the at-will nature of employment at FPOPS (refer to FPPS-EAW-001).
8. Responsibilities
* Employees: Responsible for understanding and adhering to this policy, managing their attendance and punctuality, and providing timely and accurate notification of any absences or tardiness.
* Supervisors: Responsible for monitoring employee attendance, communicating expectations, documenting all instances of absence/tardiness, addressing issues promptly, and applying this policy consistently and fairly.
* CEO/HR: Responsible for overall oversight of this policy, providing guidance to supervisors, and ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
9. Policy Review and Revision
This policy will be reviewed annually by the CEO and Program Directors, or more frequently as needed, to ensure its continued effectiveness, relevance, and alignment with organizational needs, best practices, and legal requirements. Any revisions will be communicated to all relevant personnel.