Abandonment of Employment Guide for Managers

Abandonment of Employment Guide for Managers


Applies to: All Support Services team

Abandonment of Employment Guide for Managers


Remember: As a leader in this business, you are responsible for delivering excellence through the use of business processes. You need to listen, understand and help guide the team to follow the processes outlined in this guide

What is Abandonment?


Abandonment is a situation where a team member does not turn up for work without notification or just cause. Within TWG this process is used when a fulltime team member fails to appear for work, for three consecutive work periods (two for a part time team member). This process helps to identify whether they have simply ‘walked off the job’ or some external factor has stopped them being able to come to work, and then to resolve the situation.

Why is it important to follow the correct process?


By law and in our business, there are processes that need to be followed when a team member’s job may be at risk.
When a team member is absent from work unexpectedly this places pressure on other team members and the business and it is important to get it resolved as soon as possible.

1.      Team member misses three consecutive work periods, without contact: this process applies when the Team Member:

  • Is absent from 3 consecutive shifts of work
  • Makes no contact with the business

Has no form of permission to be absent

2.      IEA Clause

If you are absent from work for three consecutive days without the consent of, or notification to us, or without just cause, you shall be deemed to have terminated your employment. 

3.      Try to contact Team Member personally, do not wait until the three days are up before trying to make contact. Phone the team member. Try to get in touch with their emergency contact. Make diary notes of all contact attempts and times/dates.

4.      Manage resignation, discipline, leave or return to work. Typical actions, depending on the Team Member’s response (if any), are:

  1. No response to calls - continue this process.
  2. Provides reasonable explanation - return to work. Use the Welcome Back process.
  3. Admits failure to inform of absence with no just cause– disciplinary action where appropriate.
  4. Confirms no longer wants to work - confirm resignation.
  5. Unable to work - review health situation and leave needs.

5.      Try to contact Team Member, in writing, if there is no response or answer to phone calls then complete the first letter and courier it to their home address. Keep records of the courier details.

6.      If there is still no response or contact from the team member, then send them a letter terminating the employment. Courier this to their home and keep details of the courier dates and times.

7.      Follow the process for termination, by putting through a 'cessation' in MyPay, so that a final pay can be arranged by Payroll.

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