Absconding is when an employee has taken an unauthorised absence for a couple of days together. The person has failed to inform their manager, peers, HR, or any other staff about their absence from work. We label someone as absconding when they have not reported to work for more than 3 days in a row. Once an employee has been considered an absconder, the company can terminate them without further notice or any exit plan in place.
Many companies have various policies to tackle with a runaway employee. They can execute these policies with immediate effect when an employee is found to be fleeing from duty, especially during the notice period. They might also face disciplinary actions later on.
Why does abandonment of the duty become an option for the employee?
An employee absconds for several reasons like:
- Better career prospects
- Personal reasons
- Job dissatisfaction
- Employer made false promises during recruitment
- A strict or dictatorial manager who does not have people management skills
- Personality issues
- Negativity at workplace
- Extreme displeasure or disinterest in the job
- Commitment issues from the employee
- No succession plan in place for the employee
Is an employee allowed to abscond from a firm?
Yes, an employee may wish to leave or exit the organisation without informing them prior. However, it is very unprofessional behaviour to end the employee-employer relationship, and it can put the employee or the absconder into legal matters in the long term.
Can an employee easily join another firm after they are found to be absconding?
Yes, they can. Some companies may be willing to accept employees despite their history of absconding where the reasons have been genuine, like mental/physical well-being, work issues, commitment issues, personal problems, etc. Employees who have done the abandonment must be ready to explain the reasons and show proof of their actions if asked in the interviews, though.
What are the best measures to stop someone from absconding?
Stepwise guidance for preventing absconding situations includes:
- Communicate updated company policies related to absence, leave, resignation, and absconding situations.
- Confirm that the concerned employee is absent from work for 3 or more days.
- Send them a letter to explain their reason for unauthorised absence.
- Document the absence and all communication with the employee.
- Get in touch with the employee’s immediate or emergency contacts.
- Convey them the consequences that the employee might have to face if they do not revert or rejoin.
- Take legal action if required and terminate the employment contract.
- Ensure all the actions you take are within the compliance of company and employment laws of the state and the nation.
Best Practice:
Track an absconder by using a modern attendance management system with embedded virtual biometrics. From features like geo-tagging and geo-fencing, you will know if the employee is regularly logging in from their usual location and time zone or not. An automated and intelligent system like ours will send scheduled reports to HR about irregularities in attendance or punch-ins.
