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Employee & Labor Relations

A Resource for County of San Mateo Employees, Supervisors, and Managers

09. Tardiness & Absenteeism

Tardiness and Absenteeism
Correction of tardiness and absenteeism is one of the most complex and frustrating areas of Employee...
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A. What can I do to avoid leave problems?
General Guidance Expectations – The most important step you can take is to clearly communicate your...
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B. How does a supervisor address leave problems?
Corrective Action Steps As in all corrective action, supervisors/managers must consider all pertinent...
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Bereavement Leave
The County Ordinance Code and the various MOUs provide that sick leave may be used for the employee’s...
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C. What are some examples of leave problems?
Tardiness – Everyone will arrive late to work on occasion due to unexpected traffic problems or unavoidable...
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D. What is the difference between leave without pay, and absence without leave?
Leave without pay (LWOP) is considered approved leave. If an employee requests time off and the request...
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E. Must vacation leave be approved when an employee is tardy?
No. For occasional instances of tardiness, it is appropriate to allow employees to charge the tardy to...
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F. Is an employee entitled to use vacation leave whenever it is requested, if they have a balance of vacation hours?
No. Vacation leave is requested in advance and approved or denied by the supervisor or manager based...
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G. Must every request for sick leave be approved?
No. Sick leave is used for very specific purposes as outlined in the various MOUs and in the Ordinance...
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H. When can a supervisor request a doctor's note?
Some departments have a written or unwritten policy that any absence in excess of three working days...
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I. Does an employee have to provide a release to work after every illness?
Generally, an employee is not required to provide a release to return to work after illnesses. Some examples...
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J. If an employee brings in doctor's notes as required, is there anything a supervisor can do about excessive sick leave?
Yes. Civil Service Rule XIII lists “excessive absenteeism and/or tardiness” as a basis for...
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K. How do I determine whether an employee’s attendance constitutes “excessive absenteeism”?
Although there is no magic number of absences that equate to excessive absenteeism, there are a number...
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L. How must a timecard be coded when an employee uses paid sick leave and works overtime in the same week?
In all contracts bargained between employee organizations and the County of San Mateo in years 2005-2007,...
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L.1 Coding the Timecard
AFSCME, Confidential, PDA, SEIU, SMCCE: Employees who use paid sick leave and work extra hours in the...
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M. Can an employee use other accrued leave in lieu of sick leave to cover unplanned medical absences?
As stated in the MOUs, approval to use accrued vacation, holiday, and compensatory time hours is and...
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Sample Counseling Memo for Tardiness
DATE: Today’s Date TO: Name, Office Assistant II FROM: Name, Supervisor SUBJECT: Tardiness EMPLOYEE NAME,...
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Sample Leave Restriction Letter
– PLACE ON YOUR DEPARTMENTAL LETTERHEAD – DATE: Today’s Date TO: Employee, Classification FROM: Supervisor,...
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Sample Letter of Reprimand – Absenteeism
– PLACE ON YOUR DEPARTMENTAL LETTERHEAD – Date: To: Employee, Classification From: Supervisor, Title Subject:...
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Sample Skelly Decision Letter – AWOL (Non-Punitive Discipline)
– PLACE ON YOUR DEPARTMENTAL LETTERHEAD – DATE Employee Address Dear Ms. Employee: Please take notice...
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Sample Skelly Intent Letter – Attendance (Non-Punitive Discipline)
– PLACE ON YOUR DEPARTMENTAL LETTERHEAD – DATE Name Classification Department (Hand delivered) Dear Mr....
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Scenarios and Recommended Action Steps
Scenario I – George is a Fiscal Office Assistant II who works from 8:00  5:00 with a one hour lunch....
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