NTEU Chapter 66

AWOL FACTS

Management is instructed to provide written counseling for the very first attendance/AWOL issue. Sometimes we wonder why they’re so quick to charge AWOL. This is why, it’s what they’re told to do. However, written counseling can come in these forms:

-AWOL Memo

-Excessive Unscheduled Leave Memo

-Tardiness Warning Memo

-Excessive Breaks Memo

Management is instructed to avoid:

-Charging AWOL without give you an AWOL notice

-Write “AWOL due to insufficient leave” on your AWOL notice

-Fail to give the AWOL notice timely

-Put the wrong dates on the AWOL notice

They are instructed to:

-Make sure the AWOL in the notice matches what they put in SETR
-Provide the employee with the AWOL notice ASAP, but no later than the end of the pay period.

-Check with their DM regarding potentially completing a 11396 (disciplinary action) after 3 instances.

If they’re awaiting medical documentation:
-Management cannot charge LWOP when an employee calls in sick with no leave and then reverse it to AWOL later.

-Management must inform the employee that they’re waiting on medical documentation.

-Any documentation must match the dates and times.

Here is a very important article from the National Agreement that relates to AWOL:

Article 32 

Section 9

When the Employer determines that it will charge an employee Absent Without Leave (AWOL), it will notify the employee of the AWOL charge in writing as soon as possible but no later than the end of the pay period or within two (2) workdays of the AWOL charge if the AWOL charge occurs during the last two (2) days of the pay period. Such notice will include the reason for charging AWOL and include the time period(s) in question and will be delivered to the employee in person if the employee is present in the workplace. If the employee is not present and/or is not expected to be present within a reasonable period of time, the notice will be mailed to the employee’s home address.