AWOL
Have you called out due to a personal circumstance and later have found that you have been charged AWOL for that day. Perhaps some may have been warned in advanced that everyone that "calls off" on a certain day will be charged with AWOL. We may see this happen more often than not, specially when your absence is related to a weather condition, so let's explore a little more about what AWOL, what to do if you receive AWOL and what not to do if you have been threatened with AWOL.
What is AWOL?
AWOL means "Absence Without Leave". Although AWOL is not considered a dicsiplinary action, it may be used for disciplinary reasons if an employee receives too many. Although supervisors will argue that AWOL itself is not a disciplinary acition, it is a tool for superisors to set a path forth for discipline in the future. AWOL is considered a misconduct and will be considered as failure to report to work. Needless to say, we should avoid AWOL at all costs. When an employee receives AWOL, it means that their absence has not been approved. Employees are placed under "non-pay status", which means that not only that you are not excused, but that you will not be payed for that day or days. AWOL is different from LWOP (Leave Without Pay), although employees are not payed under LWOP, this type of leave indicates that your absence has been excused, therefor accumulated LWOP should not lead to any discipline.
When is AWOL appropriate?
There are certain circumstances when AWOL is appropriate. Remember, we all have a duty to be at our workstations in time. There are certain factors outside of our control that may indicate that an AWOL is not appropriate, but we will cover that later. According to OPM, AWOL should be granted for the following reasons:
The employee was instructed to report for duty
and fails to do so, OR
2. The requested leave was appropriately denied
and the employee did not show up for work, OR
3. The employee does not provide medical
documentation, the documentation is insufficient
or not submitted within the time frame provided
Let's be clear, it is the employees responsibility to report to their work station on time. If an employee fails to be present at their assigned work areas on time, they may be charged AWOL by default. If an employee is absent from their work area without permission (taking a break without notifying or outside of your assigned break time, wondering off their work area without permission, ect.) they may also be charged AWOL for that time. The Master Agreement does speak to brief and infrequent tardiness, please refer to our "7 Minute Rule" post for more. A common example of instructions to report to duty is the "I am not asking, I am telling you I will not be here" mindset. In the federal government, management is not obligated to grant annual leave. If an employee requests a day off and the request is denied in advanced, then the employee has an obligation to report to duty. Failure to report to work under these circumstances may result in AWOL, then they may consider disciplinary actions based on AWOL and the added charge of "Failure to Follow Supervisors Instructions", which can lead to discipline such as suspensions, and more. So please remember, as long as you are at your assigned work area in time, you don't wonder off your work area without permission and/ or if you report to duty when you have been clearly denied leave, you should not be receiving AWOL. Now, when it comes to Sick Leave, as long as employees have sufficient balance, they do not need to present medical documentation. The only times where medical documentation is required is if 1. An employee is under a leave restriction, 2. An employee needs more than 3 days of absence or 3. To provide the initial or revision documentation for FMLA. There may be other circumstances not mentioned here where AWOL may be appropriate.
When is AWOL NOT Appropriate?
There are certain circumstances when management attempts to charge AWOL where it is NOT appropriate. Here is a list of common occurrences where this should not happen:
Management should not cancel your annual leave and request you to return to work after you have left on leave.
Management should not require medical documentation for an absence of less than 3 days unless you are on a leave restriction.
Leave is managed on an individual basis, it is innapropriate for management to threaten a group of employees with AWOL for anticipating leave due to circumstances outside of our control or an "Act of God" such as a weather emergency, amongst others. If you have been threatened with AWOL under these circumstances, make sure to gather the evidence via email and notify the Union immediately.
AWOL is the governments way to track and control employees use of unexcused leave. Not every AWOL is warranted, however there are circumstances where it is appropriate. Management will always argue that they do not have an obligation to grant leave. Although this is correct, if you beleive that you have been granted AWOL unjustly you may always consult with your local Union for more information and guidance. It is always good practice to gather evidence and follow up any threats with an email recapping these conversations.
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