Be Careful of Point Sytems. If you use a progressive point system for absenteeism, make certain to document the reasons for all applied absences and whether the employee called off properly in all instances. When determining unemployment eligibility, PA-UC will take into account ALL absences applied against these points.
Absenteeism/Tardiness - Prior to being discharged for absenteeism or tardiness, the claimant must have been warned about such conduct. In addition, there have been cases where one absence was sufficient to show willful misconduct. The reason for the last occurrence will be taken into consideration in determining if the claimant had a good reason for being tardy or absent. Absenteeism alone may justify a discharge, but without a showing of wanton and willful disregard of the employer's interests, benefits cannot be denied. Generally, if an individual has good cause for missing work, such as being ill or having an ill child, and reports off according to the employer's policy, that individual's conduct does not rise to the level of willful misconduct. However, there can be factors that may affect the eligibility determination, such as the employer's rule for calling off, the method which the individual used in calling off, the reason for the last incident, the nature of the work, past attendance record, and previous warnings for absenteeism or tardiness. When the employer has a progressive discipline point system and an individual is discharged due to accumulating points as a result of absenteeism/tardiness, all absences/tardiness will be reviewed to determine if any of the absences were justified. Willful misconduct is not established if the claimant had good cause for any of the absences.
