Absent without leave is an unauthorized type of leave when an employee is absent without informing and permission from their responsibility. It is serious misconduct that could result in summary dismissal. The employer has the authority to give punishment and terminate the employee immediately. Even if the company does not terminate the employment, absent without leave is not good for an employee’s career since it negatively impacts the profile.
If an employee does not have explicit permission to take a leave for more than three days, it can be counted as AWOL. In such cases, the employee is on a temporary absence from the company, and it is regarded as an unofficial resignation from that job. The employer has the right to take legal actions against the employee in such cases.
But an employer should be mindful that failure to state clearly in its disciplinary policy the extent of absence, which will be deemed gross misconduct, may mean that an employer has failed to provide sufficient guidance as to acceptable levels of lack. This may undermine the employer’s decision to dismiss AWOL and its robustness before the employment tribunal.
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