It’s worrying when an employee suddenly stops showing up for work.
Sometimes there’s a genuine reason. Sometimes there isn’t.
Either way, you need to stay calm, act fairly and follow the right steps.
Our latest article explains what to do when an employee goes missing or stops responding.
Read it below.
We recently worked with a client who was worried about an employee who had stopped showing up for work and wasn’t responding to calls or messages.
The situation was stressful and uncertain. The client didn’t know whether something serious had happened or if the employee had simply walked away from their job.
Here’s what we advised them to do.
1. Check they’re safe
Start with genuine concern. Try calling, texting and emailing them. If you still can’t reach them, contact the emergency contact listed in their file.
If there’s any reason to think something may have happened, reach out to local authorities and request a welfare check.
2. Follow your internal process
Check your attendance or job abandonment policy and follow it step by step. Keeping things consistent protects both your business and your employees.
If you don’t have a clear process for this, it’s worth creating one. Most businesses treat three consecutive no-call/no-shows as job abandonment, but you should always outline that in your policy.
3. Keep a clear record
Document every attempt you make to get in touch and any messages you’ve left.
If questions come up later, detailed notes show that you acted reasonably and followed a fair process.
4. Give them time to respond
If you still haven’t heard back, send a formal letter or email asking for an explanation and setting a clear deadline to respond.
Allow a reasonable timeframe: typically 7 to 14 days depending on the situation.
5. Close the employment appropriately
If there’s still no response after multiple attempts and reasonable time, you can close the employment as voluntary resignation due to job abandonment.
Notify the employee in writing that their employment has ended and confirm any final pay details in line with state law.
6. Be prepared if they return
If the employee does get back in touch, hold a return-to-work conversation.
Find out what happened, listen to their explanation and decide on next steps. In some cases, there may be a valid reason for the absence that should be documented.
When an employee disappears, it’s easy to feel frustrated. But staying calm and following a consistent process protects your business and shows that you’ve acted fairly.
If you’d like to make sure that your attendance and job abandonment policies are clear and up to date, get in touch.
