Job Abandonment: What It Is And How To Handle It

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Although absenteeism is a normal part of running a business, there are times when employees decide they no longer want to work at a company and therefore do not report to work as scheduled. When an employee misses consecutive days without notice and is unable to be reached, this is called job abandonment.

Job abandonment is defined differently by different companies, so it’s important to develop a policy that states exactly how many days of missed work can go by before the business decides to define it as abandonment. Many policies give a three-day policy, but it can vary depending on your company.

Key Takeaways:

• Job abandonment is when an employee does not report to work as scheduled and has no intention to ever return to the job but does not notify the employer of their intention to quit.

• As the employer, you should consider doing everything you can to investigate their absence, including contacting or attempting to contact the employee.

• You do not have to pay unemployment to an employee that abandons their job as it is considered a voluntary resignation.

What Is Job Abandonment?

Job abandonment is when an employee does not report to work as scheduled and has no intention to ever return to the job but does not notify the employer of their intention to quit. There are currently no federal or state laws that specify the number of days to consider job abandonment, but the most common time period is three days.

It’s important to allow your employee to contact the employer if they do not show up for work. Sometimes no-show employees are unable to contact their employers, especially if they’ve had a medical emergency, a run-in with the law, or some other form of crisis, making them unable to communicate their absence.

As the employer, you should consider doing everything you can to investigate their absence, including contacting or attempting to contact the employee. If enough time has passed, it’s a good idea to send a termination of employment letter in which they will have the opportunity to reach out to the employer if their circumstances change the employer’s decision.

Why Does Job Abandonment Happen?

Job abandonment can happen for a multitude of reasons. Many times, there are severe circumstances in a personal or professional manner that leads to this decision. Some common reasons can include:

• Fear. Quitting your job can be scary, and if the employee hasn’t had a great experience with their management, human resources, or leadership team, they may be afraid to hand in their resignation.

• Getting a new job. Sometimes employees get a new job and would rather start that job right away rather than continue where they’re currently working. Although it looks unprofessional, some individuals may choose to leave for a new job without notice.

• Unexpected emergency. Although this is technically considered job abandonment, it’s typically not a decision the employee would have chosen to make. An unexpected emergency could cause medical care that may make the employee unable to work.

• Dissatisfied. If your company has a poor culture or the employee has felt disrespected or harassed, they may choose to leave your company without notice.

• Careless. Unfortunately, sometimes even after we vet candidates, we may end up with employees who are negligent or careless. These individuals will likely not give notice when they leave.

How to Prevent Job Abandonment

Although you’ll never have complete control over your employee’s actions, there are some steps you can take to try and prevent job abandonment at your company.

• Survey your employees. Consider conducting an employee engagement survey. You can gain better insight into how supported or unsupported your employees feel. One of the biggest reasons for job abandonment is an employee feeling underappreciated. If you focus on engagement, your employees will know you care.

• Offer medical leave. Medical issues are part of life, and emergencies can pop up without warning. Often, people have no choice but to abandon their job in order to maintain their health. By offering medical leave, you can allow your employees to take time off if necessary.

• Offer vacation time. It’s easy to get burnt out at work, and employees who feel overworked are more likely to abandon their jobs. If you not only offer but encourage vacation time, your employees will be happier and feel like they’re supported in their role by the company as a whole.

• Pay fairly. Be sure you’re doing your due diligence in your industry by keeping up with adequate employee pay. Employees who are underpaid will be quick to leave for a better job if you don’t pay competitive wages. By offering fair and competitive salaries, employees will want to stay.

How to Handle Job Abandonment

So what do you do if an employee of yours decides to abandon their job? Employers dealing with this circumstance should do what they can to minimize the negative consequences of an employee abandoning their job. Discuss with your human resources team and develop a policy that can help you anticipate any problems that may arise.

• Define it. Be sure you communicate your job abandonment policy and provide clarity to your employees, so they understand what it means. Remind your employees of the negative consequences of abandonment, such as receiving unemployment benefits.

• Investigate. For every job abandonment, no matter the circumstances, it’s important that you investigate your employee to ensure they have no intention of returning. Attempt to contact the employee via phone or email and see if they intend to return to work. If you fear they may be in danger, contact an emergency contact or the police.

• Follow up. If all of your attempts to communicate fail, you’ll need to send a letter to your employee’s address. Outline your communication attempts and the employee’s missed work days, and note that if they don’t respond, they will be considered to be abandoning their job.

• Follow termination procedures. If the employee does not respond to your letter, terminate the employee with a job abandonment letter. Provide instructions on how to return any company property. Remove the employee from your database and ensure they receive what they are owed on their final paycheck.

Job Abandonment FAQ

1. Is job abandonment the same as quitting?

   No, job abandonment is not the same as quitting. Quitting is when an employee notifies their employer they will be leaving the job, whereas job abandonment is a voluntary resignation even though the employee does not formally announce their departure.

2. What are the consequences of job abandonment?

   For employers, the consequences of job abandonment are missed shifts or deadlines, reassigning tasks and responsibilities, and needing to rehire for the role without anyone taking their place.

3. Do I have to pay unemployment to an employee that abandons their job?

   No, you do not have to pay unemployment to an employee that abandons their job as it is considered a voluntary resignation.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia where she has written 140+ articles that have reached over 1 mil viewers as of June 2023. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research.