Performance Management
Discharging An Employee For Innocent Absenteeism
A 2012 decision by the British Columbia Court of Appeal held that an employer’s right to terminate an employee for undue absenteeism will be taken away if the decision to dismiss an employee is influenced, at least in part, by an intent to prevent an entitlement to severance pay. More generally, the Court held that a decision to dismiss an employee for undue absenteeism must not be based upon considerations other than past and projected absenteeism.
Absenteeism: Have the Presence of Mind to Control It
When you have an employee, there is an inherent agreement between the two of you. It states that the employee will come to work when scheduled and perform specific tasks to satisfaction. As the employer, you will provide safe working conditions and pay fairly for their labour. Whether written in a contract or not, this agreement constitutes an obligation that both parties must adhere to. Each must respect the other and fulfil the terms that have been agreed upon. Often, an employee who is dissatisfied with their place of work, or feeling over-worked or under-appreciated, will start missing shifts or arriving late on a regular basis.