Employee attendance policy template
Fill it in, download .docx or .pdf. Free, no sign-up.
General information, not legal advice. This page is for general information only and isn’t legal, financial or tax advice. Laws vary by state and change; check the official source or talk to a qualified professional about your situation. Every rule on this page links to its official source.
Fill in the attendance policy
Preview
Attendance and Punctuality Policy
Purpose
[Company name] depends on everyone being at work, on time, for their scheduled shifts. This policy explains how to report an absence or late arrival, what happens after a no call, no show, and how repeated attendance problems are handled. It applies to all employees in the same way.
Reporting an absence or late arrival
- Who to contact: [Who employees contact]
- How: [How to report an absence or late arrival]
- When: [When to report]
Please give the reason for the absence in general terms and when you expect to return. You do not need to share medical details.
Late arrivals and leaving early
What counts as late: [What counts as late].
[Leaving early]
No call, no show
A no call, no show happens when an employee misses a scheduled shift without contacting [Who employees contact] before the shift starts.
[What you do the same day]
Consequence: [Consequence of a no call, no show]. The employee will be asked to explain the absence, and an emergency that made contact impossible will be taken into account.
If an employee misses [When it is treated as job abandonment], and does not respond to our attempts to reach them by phone and in writing, we will treat it as a voluntary resignation (job abandonment).
How attendance is tracked
[How absences are tracked]
When attendance problems repeat, these steps apply: [Steps when problems repeat]
Absences that do not count against you
Absences that are protected by law are not counted as occurrences and do not lead to discipline under this policy. Depending on where you work, these can include paid sick leave under a state or local law, family and medical leave, leave needed as an accommodation for a disability, jury duty and military service. If you are not sure whether an absence is protected, ask [Who employees contact]. (official source)
How to request and use leave is described in: [Where your leave rules are].
[Note for you: Choose your state above to see its rule on paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences), or check it with your state labor office before you send this.]
This policy is not a contract and may be updated. Employees will be told in writing before a change takes effect.
Acknowledgement
I have received and read the Attendance and Punctuality Policy.
______________________ Date: __________
Employee signature
For names with non-Latin characters, use .docx.
A tool that can help
Disclosure: InterObservers may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t change what we recommend. How we make money.
About this policy
A plain attendance and tardiness policy for a small team: how to call in, what counts as late, what happens after a no call, no show, how absences are tracked, and which absences never count. Pick your state to see its paid sick leave rule.
An attendance policy tells employees how to report an absence or late arrival, what counts as late, what happens when someone misses a shift without calling, and how repeated problems are handled. Written down and applied the same way to everyone, it turns attendance conversations into facts instead of arguments.
One part needs care: some absences may be protected, such as paid sick leave under a state or local law, and should not be tracked like any other absence. Pick your state above to see the paid sick leave note, then fill in your rules and download the policy. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Rules for this document in your state
Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences)Choose your stateRules with official sources
Choose your state above to see the rule we have verified, or check it with your state labor office.
Verified so far, by state
Each rule below was checked against official sources. States not listed have not been verified yet for these topics; check them with the state labor office.
| State | Rule and law | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Alaska paid sick leave: employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Annual cap 15 or more employees: Employers with 15 or more employees must allow employees to accrue and use up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year (unless the employer sets a higher limit). Annual cap under 15 employees: Employers with fewer than 15 employees must allow employees to accrue and use up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year (unless the employer sets a higher limit). Effective date: Alaska's paid sick leave requirement took effect July 1, 2025. Employer coverage: All employers in Alaska must provide paid sick leave, with no minimum employer size; certain employees are exempted by statute. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Arizona | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Arizona earned paid sick time: employees accrue at least one hour for every 30 hours worked. Annual cap 15 or more employees: Employees of employers with 15 or more employees may accrue or use up to 40 hours of earned paid sick time per year (unless the employer sets a higher limit). Annual cap under 15 employees: Employees of employers with fewer than 15 employees may accrue or use up to 24 hours of earned paid sick time per year (unless the employer sets a higher limit). Effective date: Arizona earned paid sick time began to accrue on July 1, 2017 (or at the start of employment, if later). Employer coverage: Arizona's earned paid sick time applies to private employers of any size, including small businesses exempt from the state minimum wage law; the State of Arizona and the United States are not covered employers. (A.R.S. § 23-372; A.R.S. § 23-371) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| California | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: California paid sick leave: under an accrual plan employees earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (employers may use another regular accrual schedule or front-load instead). Accrued balance cap: Employers may cap an employee's total accrued paid sick leave at 80 hours or 10 days (whichever is more). Annual cap: Employers may limit an employee's use of paid sick leave to 40 hours or five days per year (whichever is more), the minimum they must allow since January 1, 2024. Effective date: The current minimum of 40 hours or five days of paid sick leave per year applies from January 1, 2024. Employee eligibility: Employees who work in California for the same employer for 30 or more days within a year are entitled to paid sick leave (including part-time, per diem and temporary employees). (Cal. Labor Code § 246) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Colorado | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA): employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Annual cap: Employees accrue up to 48 hours of HFWA paid sick leave per year (employers may provide more). Effective date: HFWA paid sick leave began to accrue on January 1, 2021 for employers with 16 or more employees, and has applied to all employers since January 1, 2022. (Colorado General Assembly, SB20-205 (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act) bill summary) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Connecticut | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Connecticut paid sick leave: employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours actually worked. Annual cap: Employees accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year (employers may allow more). Employer coverage: Since January 1, 2026, the law covers employers with 11 or more employees in Connecticut, counted on the payroll for the week containing January 1st. Employer coverage from 2027: From January 1, 2027, the law covers employers with 1 or more employees in Connecticut. (Connecticut DOL, Paid Sick Leave FAQs) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| District of Columbia | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual 100 or more employees: DC Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act: employers with 100 or more employees must provide at least one hour of paid leave for every 37 hours worked, up to 7 days per calendar year. Accrual 24 or fewer employees: Employers with 24 or fewer employees must provide at least one hour of paid leave for every 87 hours worked, up to 3 days per calendar year. Accrual 25 to 99 employees: Employers with 25 to 99 employees must provide at least one hour of paid leave for every 43 hours worked, up to 5 days per calendar year. (D.C. Code § 32-531.02) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Hawaii | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Hawaii law does not require paid sick leave; employers that provide sick leave must make their policy available in writing or by posted notice. (Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Vacation and Sick Leave) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Illinois | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): The Paid Leave for All Workers Act took effect January 1, 2024; accrual begins at the start of employment or January 1, 2024, whichever is later, and employees may start using leave after 90 days. (Illinois DOL, Paid Leave for All Workers Act FAQ) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Iowa | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Iowa law does not require employers to provide sick time; employers must follow their own policies, practices or contracts. (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, Wages) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Maine | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Maine Earned Paid Leave (usable for any reason, not only sickness): employees earn one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked. Annual cap: Employees can earn up to 40 hours of Earned Paid Leave in a year of employment (or the employer policy's higher accrual limit); unused hours carry over to the next year. Effective date: Maine's Earned Paid Leave law took effect January 1, 2021. Employer coverage: Applies to employers with more than 10 employees in the usual and regular course of business for more than 120 days in any calendar year. (26 M.R.S. § 637(3); Maine DOL, Earned Paid Leave; 26 M.R.S. § 637(2)) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Maryland | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Maryland Healthy Working Families Act: earned sick and safe leave accrues at a rate of at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (employers may instead front-load the year's amount). Accrued balance cap: An employer need not allow an employee to accrue a total of more than 64 hours of earned sick and safe leave at any time. Annual cap: An employer need not let an employee earn more than 40 hours of earned sick and safe leave in a year. Effective date: The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act took effect February 11, 2018, after the General Assembly overrode the Governor’s veto. Employer coverage: All employers with employees whose primary work location is Maryland must provide earned sick and safe leave: paid leave if they employ 15 or more employees, unpaid leave if they employ fewer. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(b); Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(3); Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(1); Maryland Department of Labor, Sick and Safe Leave; Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(a)(1)) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Minnesota | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Minnesota earned sick and safe time (ESST): employees accrue at least one hour of paid ESST for every 30 hours worked. Accrued balance cap: Unused ESST carries over, but the total accrued balance may be capped at 80 hours (unless the employer agrees to more). Annual cap: Employers may cap annual ESST accrual at 48 hours a year (more if the employer agrees). Effective date: Minnesota's ESST law took effect "Jan. 1, 2024". Employee eligibility: Covered employees are those anticipated to work at least 80 hours a year for an employer in Minnesota (not independent contractors); part-time, seasonal and temporary employees are included. Employer coverage: Applies to every employer with one or more employees in Minnesota (the federal government excluded); ESST is paid leave for all covered employers. (Minn. Stat. § 181.9446; Minnesota DLI, FAQs: Earned sick and safe time (ESST); Minn. Stat. § 181.9445, subd. 6) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Missouri | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Missouri no longer has a statewide paid sick leave mandate: the legislature repealed the state law establishing paid sick time for private employees. (Missouri Senate, HB 567 (2025) bill summary (HCS#2/HBs 567, 546, 758 & 958)) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| New Jersey | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: New Jersey Earned Sick Leave: employees earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (employers may instead front-load the annual amount). Annual cap: Employers must allow accrual and use of up to 40 hours per benefit year; up to 40 unused hours carry over, but use can be limited to 40 hours per benefit year. Employer coverage: Employers of all sizes must provide paid earned sick leave (full-time, part-time and temporary employees; few exemptions). (NJDOL, Earned Sick Leave (My Work Rights)) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| New Mexico | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): New Mexico Healthy Workplaces Act: employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (employers may provide more). (Office of the Governor, press release on signing HB 20 (Healthy Workplaces Act)) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| New York | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: New York State paid sick leave: leave accrues at a rate of not less than one hour for every 30 hours worked (employers may instead front-load the annual amount). Annual cap large employer: Employers with 100 or more employees must provide up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. Annual cap midsize employer: Employers with 5 to 99 employees must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. Annual cap small employer: Employers with 4 or fewer employees must provide up to 40 hours of sick leave per calendar year: paid if net income in the previous tax year was greater than $1 million, otherwise unpaid. Effective date: Employees began accruing New York sick leave on September 30, 2020. (New York State, Paid Sick Leave (ny.gov)) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| North Carolina | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): North Carolina law does not require employers to provide sick leave; whether to offer it is up to each employer, but promised sick leave policies must be followed and made available to employees in writing or by posted notice. (NCDOL, Promised Wages Including Wage Benefits) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Oregon | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Oregon sick time: employees accrue at least 1 hour of protected sick time for every 30 hours worked (employers may instead frontload at least 40 hours at the start of the year). Annual cap: Accrual is required up to 40 hours of sick time per year. Employer coverage: Sick time must be paid if the employer has 10 or more employees (6 or more if it has a location in Portland); smaller employers must still provide protected but unpaid sick time. (Oregon BOLI, Sick time (For Workers)) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Pennsylvania | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Pennsylvania has no state law requiring employers to provide paid sick leave; employers must pay it only under their own policy or a contract. Local rules (e.g. Philadelphia) may apply. (Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Wage FAQs) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Texas | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): No Texas law requires private-sector employers to provide paid sick leave; if sick leave is promised in a written policy or agreement it is enforceable as wages under the Texas Payday Law. (Texas Workforce Commission, Especially for Texas Employers: Vacation and Sick Leave) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
| Vermont | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Vermont earned sick time: employees accrue at least one hour of paid earned sick time for every 52 hours worked (including overtime). Annual cap: Employers may limit accrual of earned sick time to 40 hours in a 12-month period. Effective date: Vermont's Earned Sick Time law took effect January 1, 2017 (employers of five or fewer full-time employees had to comply from January 1, 2018). Employee eligibility: Covered employees are those employed for an average of at least 18 hours per week during a year (the statute lists exclusions, including federal employees, certain short seasonal jobs and individuals under 18 years of age). (21 V.S.A. § 482; 21 V.S.A. § 481) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Virginia | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Limited scope: Virginia's current paid sick leave law covers only home health workers (consumer-directed personal care, respite or companion services). They accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Annual cap: Limited scope (home health workers only): an employee may not accrue or use more than 40 hours of paid sick leave a year unless the employer sets a higher limit. Employee eligibility: Covered employees under the current law are home health workers who work on average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month. (Va. Code § 40.1-33.4; Va. Code § 40.1-33.3) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Washington | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Accrual: Washington paid sick leave: employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked (full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal alike). The law sets no annual accrual cap. Accrued balance cap: Unused paid sick leave carries over to the next year; employers may cap the carryover at 40 hours. Effective date: Washington's paid sick leave requirement took effect January 1, 2018. Employer coverage: Every employer in Washington must provide paid sick leave to its employees, with only a few exceptions (L&I cites e.g. doctors, lawyers, dentists and most salaried executive managers). (RCW 49.46.210) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources |
| Wisconsin | Paid sick leave (absences that cannot count as occurrences): Wisconsin law does not require employers to grant sick leave, paid or unpaid (special exceptions under the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Law). If an employer creates a sick pay policy, it may set the conditions. (Wisconsin DWD, Wisconsin Civil Rights and Labor Standards Laws) | Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency |
How to use this template
- Pick your state and read the paid sick leave note first: the tracking rules must leave out protected absences.
- Fill in one clear way to call in and one deadline. A single phone number or app is easier to enforce than several options.
- Choose one tracking method and write the steps with numbers, so the next step is never a surprise.
- Keep the no call, no show section factual: what you do the same day, and when it becomes job abandonment.
- Give the policy to every employee, collect the signed acknowledgement, and apply it the same way to everyone.
Example wording
Examples of the level of detail that makes a document clear. Replace them with your own facts.
- Call-in rule: Call or text the store phone (555-0142) at least 2 hours before your shift starts. In an emergency, contact us as soon as you safely can. A message to a coworker does not count as calling in.
- Tardiness: Clocking in more than 5 minutes after the scheduled start counts as a late arrival. Three late arrivals in 30 days count as one occurrence.
- No call, no show: The manager calls and texts the employee within one hour of the shift start and records each attempt. A first no call, no show leads to a written warning. Three scheduled shifts in a row without contact are treated as a voluntary resignation after a written attempt to reach the employee.
Questions people ask
What is an attendance policy?
An attendance policy is a written rule that tells employees how to report absences and late arrivals, what counts as late, how absences are tracked and what happens when problems repeat. It usually also explains which absences do not count, such as protected leave.
What is a no-fault attendance policy?
In a no-fault policy, most absences count as occurrences whatever the reason, and discipline follows the number of occurrences. Protected absences still cannot count: for example, the EEOC's guidance on leave and the ADA says employers 'may have to modify policies that limit the amount of leave employees can take when an employee needs additional leave as a reasonable accommodation.'
How does a points-based attendance policy work?
Each type of attendance problem earns a set number of points (for example, fewer for a late arrival than for a no call, no show), points expire after a set period, and each point total triggers a disciplinary step. The numbers are your choice; write them down and apply them the same way to everyone.
Can sick days count against an employee under an attendance policy?
It depends on the state and city. Where a paid sick leave law applies, check what it says about counting that leave against the employee before you write your tracking rules. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that there are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave, so the rule comes from your state or city: pick your state on this page to see it.
Should a tardiness policy have a grace period?
Many employers allow a few minutes before a clock-in counts as late. Whatever you choose, write the number of minutes into the policy so it is applied the same way to everyone.
The full process
Related templates
Sources (4)
Checked Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error