Procedure where an employee is absent and has not contacted the employer.
What can an employer do where an employee has seemingly disappeared – perhaps not returned
from holiday or simply stopped turning up for work?
The employer must not just assume that the employee has left. The contract remains in force until
some action is taken by either the employer or the employee to bring it to an end. This could be the
employer dismissing the employee or the employee resigning. If it is a dismissal, the employer must
ensure it is fair to dismiss and follow correct procedures or may face a claim of unfair dismissal.
There could, of course, be a genuine and acceptable reason why the employee has not contacted the
employer or it could be that the employee has simply decided to leave and not told the employer.
The employer needs to get to the reason for the absence and then decide how to deal with it.
Whilst the following procedure may seem like a lot of work for an employee who has not bothered
to be in contact with the employer, it is the best practice to try to prevent a claim from the
employee that they have been unfairly dismissed or unlawfully discriminated against.
There are four template letters below and if the employee still fails to get in touch or attend any
meeting, then a brief in absence meeting should be carried out and a record made. The various steps
in the process can be carried out promptly but the employer must ensure the employee is given
sufficient warning of any meeting which may lead to dismissal.
If at any point during the procedure it becomes apparent that the employee has a medical problem
which is causing the absence, consideration must be given as to whether the employee has
protection from unlawful detriment or dismissal on the grounds of disability. See the NTF manual
for further information or contact the NTF office for advice.
To help manage absence, it is good practice to have in place a reporting procedure so that
employees know who they must contact and by when if they are unable to attend work. If
employees are in the habit of texting or asking work colleagues to pass a message on for them, the
employer should remind the employees of the yard rules and that they are to follow them. Having a
procedure in place gives a more solid framework to discipline employees for failure to notify of an
absence. An informal and then formal disciplinary route could be followed for repeated failures to
follow reporting procedures.
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February 2012
A brief flow chart of the stages to take is set out below:
Try to contact employee by phone
Manage to contact employee
Unable to contact employee
Send letter 1
Employee responds
Employee fails to respond
Investigate absence and failure
to contact. Consider whether
disciplinary action is appropriate.
Ensure correct disciplinary procedures
are followed. See NTF manual.
Send letter 2
Employee attends meeting
Employee fails to respond
Hold disciplinary meeting and notify
employee of outcome. Ensure correct
procedures are followed. See NTF manual.
Send letter 3
Employee attends meeting
Employee fails to respond
Hold disciplinary meeting and notify
employee of outcome. Ensure correct
procedures are followed. See NTF manual.
Hold meeting in absence and send letter
4 to employee with outcome of meeting
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February 2012
Step 1 - try to contact employee by phone
Try to contact the employee by phone, using their mobile and landline if both are available. Make
notes as to when attempts to contact them were made and whether any message was left or if the
phone number was unobtainable or rang out.
If the employee is contacted, the employer should ascertain the reason for the absence and decide
whether any disciplinary action is appropriate for either the unauthorised absence or failure to get in
contact. If formal disciplinary action (whether that be a warning or dismissal) is considered then
the employer must follow the correct disciplinary procedures (see the NTF employment manual
chapter 5.2.2)
If the employee says they have left, they should be asked to confirm that in writing. If they are not
prepared to do so, then the employer should write to the employee referring to the conversation
and confirming acceptance of the resignation. Any outstanding holiday pay should be paid.
Step 2 - write to employee asking them to return or get in touch
If the employee cannot be contacted by phone, then the employer should write to the employee.
This letter will advise the employee that they are absent without having provided a clear and
acceptable reason and asking them to return to work or make contact advising why they are not at
work and how long their absence is likely to last. See template letter 1 below.
The employer should then decide whether the absence and failure to notify were justified, i.e. was
there an acceptable reason and if not, the employer may decide to commence disciplinary
proceedings. The correct disciplinary procedures must be followed – see chapter 5.2.2 of the NTF
manual.
Step 3
If the employee does not respond to the above letter then the employer should write to the
employee advising them that their absence and failure to get in touch is being treated as a serious
disciplinary matter and inviting the employee into a disciplinary meeting. The employee must be
told that the outcome of the meeting could be a warning or dismissal and that they have the right to
be accompanied by a work colleague or union representative at the meeting. See template letter 2.
If the employee attends the meeting, then the employer should consider the employee’s case and
decide what if any disciplinary action is appropriate. The correct disciplinary procedure should be
followed and a right of appeal given in respect of any disciplinary action or dismissal. See chapter
5.2.2. of the NTF guide.
If the employee does not attend the meeting or get in touch to re-arrange then proceed to step 4.
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February 2012
Step 4
The employer should write advising the employee that the meeting has been re-arranged to a new
date and that if they do not attend the matter will be considered in their absence. See template
letter 3.
If the employee attends this re-arranged meeting, then the employer should listen to their case and
make a decision. The correct process must be followed – see NTF employment manual chapter 5.
If the employee does not attend then the matter should be considered in their absence and a note
made as to what decision is made and by whom and then a letter written to the employee advising
of the outcome of the meeting and giving a right of appeal. See template letter 4.
Shortening the process
Depending on the circumstances, steps 3 and 4 could be combined, so that the employee is invited
to a disciplinary meeting about the absence and failure to contact and advised that if they do not
attend the meeting will be held in their absence. The warning as to possible consequences of the
meeting must be included as well as advising the employee of the right to be accompanied. This is
not recommended where the employee would be able to claim unfair dismissal (i.e. has over a year’s
service) or the employer suspects there could be the potential for a discrimination claim.
Disability discrimination
As mentioned on the first page, if at any point during the procedure it becomes apparent that the
employee is absent due to illness, consideration must be given as to whether the employee has
protection from unlawful detriment or dismissal on the grounds of disability. See the NTF manual
for further information or contact the NTF office for assistance.
Following the procedure
If at any stage during the procedure, information comes to light which the employer needs to
investigate, the procedure should be adjourned whilst enquiries are made. The advice in this
guidance sets out the basic steps and individual circumstances may necessitate a different approach
or additional steps to be taken.
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February 2012
Template letter 1
Dear employee
You have been absent from work without providing us with a clear and acceptable reason since [
].
We have tried to contact you by telephone without success.
We ask that you either return to work or as a matter of urgency contact [put in name and phone
number of person at yard they should ring] to advise as to why you are not at work and how long
your absence is likely to last.
Please note that we will investigate with you the reason for your absence and your failure to notify
us and following this investigation we will decide whether any disciplinary action is required.
Yours sincerely
National Trainers Federation
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February 2012
Template Letter 2
Dear employee
You have been absent from work since [
clear and acceptable reason.
] without having provided us with a
We have tried to contact you by telephone on a number of occasions and wrote to you on [
] asking you to contact us, which you have failed to do.
We are now treating your absence and failure to contact us as serious disciplinary matters and write
to invite you into a meeting on [
] at [
] in the presence of
[
] where ..........................
The possible consequences of this meeting are a warning, a final warning or dismissal including
dismissal without notice*
You have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or an accredited trade union
representative at the meeting.
Yours sincerely
*note to employer – any disciplinary sanction must be reasonable in all the circumstances. There is
guidance in the NTF manual chapter 5 on disciplinary sanctions.
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February 2012
Template Letter 3
Dear employee
You have been absent from work since [
clear and acceptable reason.
] without having provided a
We have tried to contact you by telephone on a number of occasions and wrote to you on [
] and more recently on [
] inviting you to a disciplinary
meeting on [
] to consider your absence and failure to contact us.
As you failed to attend that meeting, we have now re-arranged this to [
]. The possible consequences of this meeting are a warning, a final warning or dismissal
including dismissal without notice. *
You have the right to be accompanied by an accredited trade union representative or work
colleague.
We ask you to note that if you do not attend this meeting, then it will be held in your absence.,
*note to employer – any disciplinary sanction must be reasonable in all the circumstances. There is
guidance in the NTF manual chapter 5 on disciplinary sanctions.
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February 2012
Template Letter 4
Dear
We write further to our letter of [
].
As you failed to attend the re-arranged meeting on [
absence and the decision was taken by [
notice, so your last day of employment with the company is [
] it was held in your
] that you be dismissed without
].
You have the right to appeal against this decision. If you wish to appeal then please contact us in
writing with your grounds of appeal within the next 5 days.
Yours
National Trainers Federation
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February 2012