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Our Guide to managing an AWOL employee streamlines handling sudden absences, promoting operational continuity and employee accountability.
This guide focuses on managing employees who are Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) and provides step-by-step guidance on addressing the issue, conducting investigations, and taking appropriate disciplinary actions.
It’s unusual, but occasionally you might find yourself in the situation of having to deal with an employee who has effectively gone AWOL (absent without official leave). In other words they haven't turned up for work (or they have left work), with no explanation.
Dealing with an AWOL employees can be challenging, but a structured approach ensures fairness, compliance, and effective resolution. Follow these steps to navigate the situation:
Step 1: Consider the Circumstances
Before taking any action, assess the context surrounding the employee's absence:
Review the employee's attendance record to understand their history.
Explore any personal problems, health issues, or conflicts that might contribute to their absence.
Investigate whether there have been recent disputes or disagreements in the workplace.
Determine if there's reason to suspect workplace bullying or harassment.
Examine whether the absence coincides with stressful periods at
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The purpose of a guide to managing an AWOL (Absent Without Leave) employee is to provide a structured and effective approach for supervisors and managers to handle situations where an employee is absent from work without prior notice or approval for example where they do not arrive for a scheduled shift, they walk out during the working day, or you are unable to contact them.
The guide helps address AWOL cases promptly, ensuring clear communication, understanding reasons for absence, enforcing company policies, and taking appropriate actions to mitigate disruptions and maintain a productive work environment.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Managers guide to managing an AWOL employee, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
Our Unauthorised Absence Policy Template tackles absenteeism, enforces accountability, and maintains a productive work culture.
Our Unauthorised Absence First Reminder Letter template helps address unexplained absences and prompts employee communication.
Employment Rights Act 1996: Provides framework for addressing unauthorised absences and enacting appropriate disciplinary measures.
Working Time Regulations 1998: Governs working hours, leave entitlements, and absence management.
Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 1999: Guides management of absences related to parental leave.
Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.
Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Managers guide to managing an AWOL employee, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing absence and attendance processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
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