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AT&T SOUTHEAST

ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY GUIDELINE

(Excluding employees covered by the Network Addendum – U-verse Field Operations)

May 2017 AT&T Proprietary (Internal Use Only)

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May 2017 SE Labor Relations

ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY GUIDELINES AT&T SOUTHEAST

(Excluding employees covered by the Network Addendum – U-verse Field Operations)

The Attendance and Punctuality Guidelines are updated to provide further clarification about appropriate coding of absences, including additional examples of specific situations. Some information has been removed and references and/or intranet links have been provided to direct you to appropriate online resources. Significant changes are noted by using bold italics in the body of the document. Other changes have been made for correction and/or clarification. Overview of Significant Changes Removed references to the Ceridian System since the system references are no longer applicable. Section 8.05A – Added Vacation or paid Excused Work Days may be used for denied disability that is not FMLA approved if the time is available. Section 8.06C - Added information on the illness cap. Section 8.07L - Added the MPET code for absences that are considered time worked under FLSA with examples. Section 8.11 - Updated the example for a part-session illness absence. Section 9.05 Consolidation - Steps in Correcting Attendance Problems consolidated and now all contained in this section (previously Sections 9.05 to 9.10) Sections 9.11 changed to Section 9.06 – Employee Assistance section changed from Section 9.11 to Section 9.06 because of consolidation of Section 9.05. Sections 9.11, 9.12, and 9.13 - removed because of consolidation of Section 9.05 Section 9.12 changed to Section 9.07 – Special Considerations for Handling Lengthy Sickness Cases changed from Section 9.12 to Section 9.07 because of consolidation of Section


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9.05. Language has been shortened and some disability text removed. Replaced by AT&T OneStop Disability link to provide up-to-date information. Additional resources: AT&T OneStop at http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/ should be your first point of contact for information. Web-based eLink training, reports, and the Time Reporting Manual can be accessed by visiting the eLink On-Line Documentation Web Site at https://operations.web.att.com/sites/eCORP-CS/elink/default.aspx. For information on the Southeast Leaves of Absence Program visit Southeast Leave of Absence Program

http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/

https://operations.web.att.com/sites/eCORP-CS/elink/default.aspx


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Table of Contents TOPIC PARAGRAPH INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE .................................................................................... 2 POLICY ON ATTENDANCE ..................................................................................... 3 POSITIVE APPROACH TO GOOD ATTENDANCE ..................................................... 4 RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTENDANCE ...................................................................... 5

THE EMPLOYEE .............................................................................................. 5.01 THE IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR/DESIGNEE ....................................................... 5.02 HIGHER MANAGEMENT ................................................................................. 5.03

REPORTING OUT PROCEDURES ............................................................................ 6 NOTIFICATION OF ABSENCE ........................................................................... 6.01 LONG TERM ILLNESS ...................................................................................... 6.02 RECORDING ILLNESS ...................................................................................... 6.03 NO REPORT .................................................................................................... 6.04 DOCTOR’S NOTE ............................................................................................ 6.05

RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECORD KEEPING ..................................................................... 7 RECORD KEEPING ................................................................................................ 8

EMPLOYEE ABSENCE/TARDY RECORD ............................................................ 8.01 ATTENDANCE DATA ....................................................................................... 8.02 CODES……… ................................................................................................... 8.03 TARDY CODE .................................................................................................. 8.04 DISABILITY ABSENCE CODES ........................................................................... 8.05

A. Illness/Injury Short-Term Disability (STD) Benefits

B. Unpaid STD Benefits Related Absence

C. Paid STD Benefits or Workers’ Compensation Related Absence

D. Modified Tour

INCIDENTAL ABSENCE CODES ......................................................................... 8.06 A. Illness/Injury Relapse B. Illness/Injury Unpaid


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C. Illness/Injury Paid D. Illness/on Duty Accident E. Illness/Accident F. Home Conditions Paid G. Home Conditions Unpaid H. Other Absences I. No Report

OTHER ABSENCE CODES ................................................................................. 8.07 A. Paid Excused Work Day/Paid Flexible Excused Time/Personal Days

B. Unpaid Excused Work Day/Unpaid Flexible Excused/Personal Days C.

D. Paid Vacation

E. Excused Time

F. Union Activities Paid

G. Unpaid Union Activities

H. Suspension

I. Strike

J. Leaves of Absence – FMLA Qualifying

K. Military Leave

L. Miscellaneous Paid Absence

M. Miscellaneous Unpaid Absence

USE OF MISCELLANEOUS PAID AND UNPAID ABSENCE CODES ........................ 8.08 FMLA APPROVED UNPAID ABSENCES ............................................................. 8.09 EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES ........................................................... 8.10 PART SESSIONS .............................................................................................. 8.11 SUMMARIZATION ……………………………….…………………………………………………….……8.12 SUMMARIZED AND NON-SUMMARIZED CODES.............................................. 8.13 OCCURRENCES .............................................................................................. 8.14 CORRECTION PROCEDURES ............................................................................ 8.15 EMPLOYEE ABSENCE/TARDY RECORD ............................................................ 8.16 RECORD KEEPING CONTROLS ......................................................................... 8.17

GUIDELINES FOR CONTROLLING ABSENCES .......................................................... 9

HANDLING ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS ............................................................. 9.01 MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS .......................................................................... 9.02 ONGOING REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF ATTENDANCE RECORDS ....................... 9.03 DETERMINING WHEN CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN ...................... 9.04


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STEPS IN CORRECTING ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS ............................................ 9.05 A. Informal Discussion B. Counseling C. Warning D. Suspension (Letter in Lieu) E. Discharge

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE ................................................................................. 9.06 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR HANDLING LENGTHY SICKNESS CASES ........... 9.07 PROPER CAUSE .............................................................................................. 9.08

FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993 .......................................................... 10

GENERAL……….............................................................................................. 10.01 A. Birth, Adoption, or Placement of a Child B. Care of a Seriously Ill Spouse, Child or Parent C. Employees Own Serious Health Condition

CONCLUSION…….. ............................................................................................... 11 EXHIBITS:

D. Form RF-3119, Employee Absence/Tardy Record E. Sample “In Lieu of Suspension” Letter F. Code Conversion Table


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.01 AT&T Southeast is engaged in businesses which necessitate that it supply dependable, reliable services to its clients and customers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The Company needs all employees performing their assigned tasks, regardless of department, to efficiently and effectively provide such services. When anyone is absent, regardless of cause, it weakens the Company's ability to provide service. Promoting good attendance and controlling excessive absenteeism is an integral part of every manager's job and is fundamental to any of the other objectives for employees.

2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

2.01 A reasonable degree of consistency in attendance matters is an absolute necessity to ensure fair and impartial treatment of all employees, to provide reliable data for transfer, promotion or discipline cases, and to develop proper attitudes toward attendance.

2.02 These guidelines have a threefold purpose to:

1. Communicate the Company's policy on attendance,

2. Establish a standard procedure for reporting, coding, summarizing absences, and

3. Assist managers in correcting or controlling absence and tardiness problems.

3. POLICY ON ATTENDANCE

3.01 AT&T Southeast has no program for planned absences and does not have a certain number of days set aside for each employee as sick days. The Company expects employees to be at work every scheduled day. Good attendance is a job requirement employees are expected to meet just as they meet other job requirements.

3.02 The Company has a liberal paid time off plan (i.e., vacation, excused/personal days and holidays) as guaranteed for represented employees under the provisions of the various Working Agreements. Other excused time off may also be provided as business needs allow.

3.03 When circumstances permit, employees are allowed to have excused time, Excused Work Days, Personal Paid Time, Optional Holidays, Vacation, or departmental leaves to handle personal affairs as provided under the appropriate Working Agreement. Leaves of absence under the AT&T Southeast Leave of Absence Program may be available in certain circumstances when employees require extended periods of time away from their jobs. Through these various options, employees should have ample time off to meet their personal needs which should allow them to perform their jobs relatively free from outside obligations and commitments.

3.04 The Company recognizes there could be periodic absences due to illness or injury and makes provisions for these occurrences through the short-term disability program (STD)


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and/or articles of the applicable Working Agreement. However, each employee has an obligation in this area to:

1. Maintain reasonable health standards.

2. Take appropriate precautions against illness.

3. Make every effort to live and work safely, both on and off the job.

4. Not permit minor indispositions or inconveniences to keep him or her away from the job.

5. Report their disability claim to the AT&T IDSC at 1-866-276-2278 as soon as possible if the absence will extend beyond seven calendar days as a result of an illness or injury.

3.05 The management of the Company has the duty and responsibility to keep a constant and reliable work force at all times, regardless of how compassionate a person may feel toward an ill or injured employee. Once it has been determined that an employee cannot meet the attendance requirements of the job on a continuing basis due to illness, injury, or for other reasons, immediate steps must be taken to address the situation which may lead to dismissal of the employee.

3.06 It has long been the policy of our Company that absenteeism is to be dealt with on an individual employee basis and that no rigid standards or criteria should be established to define how much absence is excessive or what fixed number of absences within a given period would result in some form of disciplinary action. It is not the policy of the Company to use standards and/or a formula method for the evaluation of an employee's absence record. Those supervisors closest to the problem can best handle attendance matters by applying reasonable criteria and using management discretion when taking disciplinary action.

3.07 The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which became effective in 1992, prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. A qualified individual with a disability is an individual who meets the skill, experience, education, and other job related requirements of a position held or desired and who, with or without reasonable accommodations, can perform the essential functions of a job. This individual must have an opportunity to attain the same level of performance and to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are available to a similarly situated employee without a disability.

Reasonable accommodations related to attendance and punctuality may be available; however, individuals with disabilities must meet the same attendance and punctuality standards as employees without disabilities. If you have questions about the Company's requirements under ADA, please contact your Human Resource Employee Relations Manager (ERM). To locate the ERM who supports your organization, go to ERM Look-Up.

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4. POSITIVE APPROACH TO GOOD ATTENDANCE

4.01 Absenteeism can be divided into two broad categories:

1. INCIDENTAL absenteeism refers to repetitive short-term absences, and

2. EXTENDED absenteeism refers to a lengthy period of absence normally prompted by illness or injury.

One of the first steps in improving attendance and in maintaining good attendance is to recognize that both types of absences can be controlled.

4.02 In many cases of incidental absences, there is a fine line between an employee's decision to come to work or stay off the job. The deciding factor is often how he or she feels about the job. An employee who sincerely wants to come to work will have the motivation to disregard minor illnesses and inconveniences. In order for employees to have this motivation, they must find a degree of satisfaction in their job.

Tardiness is typically due to employees making inadequate plans to get to work on time. These problems must be corrected quickly before they become more serious. The basic principles in this practice should be applied to punctuality problems as well as attendance problems.

All employees are expected to report on time to work each day. Tardy time is an expense to the Company, and an employee cannot expect to keep his/her job if he/she is frequently late reporting for work. Tardy time is paid on the presumption that such time will not be repetitive in nature or for lengthy periods. When such time does get "out of hand", appropriate corrective action should be taken by supervision. When tardiness is excessive or habitual, it should be dealt with in accordance with the four-step disciplinary procedure.

4.03 All supervisors should display an active interest in attendance. They should discuss attendance in meetings and at other opportunities to make employees aware of its importance. Employees must know what is expected of them in the areas of attendance. If perfect attendance is a goal of a group, as well as a goal of each individual, an employee may hesitate to spoil a good record. Supervisors should review absence reports with each employee, recognizing good attendance as well as discussing potential problems.

5. RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTENDANCE

5.01 THE EMPLOYEE

The first responsibility of all employees is to understand how their jobs fit into the Company's overall plan. They should be aware of the adverse effect of their absence on the morale of their fellow workers, as well as the impact on service, costs and productivity.


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Employees should develop reliable and consistent personal habits that will give them the self-direction they need to be at work each scheduled day, on time and prepared to do their daily tasks.

5.02 THE IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR/DESIGNEE

Every supervisor must implement the Company’s attendance policy. The supervisors directly communicate many of the impressions employees have about the Company. The Company relies primarily on the judgment of the immediate supervisor in handling attendance problems. The supervisor should cover attendance expectations with each employee.

Note: Whenever supervisor is used in this document, it refers to the supervisor and/or the supervisor’s designee.

5.03 HIGHER MANAGEMENT

Employees with good attendance records are generally those employees who are satisfied with the Company in general. The degree or extent to which they are satisfied is affected to a large extent by broad Company policies formulated by top management. These include policies governing such things as wages, benefits, promotions, work objectives, disciplinary action, workforce needs, overtime, and service requirements.

6. REPORTING OUT PROCEDURES

6.01 NOTIFICATION OF ABSENCE

Employees should be advised that if they know beforehand they are going to be absent they should give their supervisor as much notice as possible. This will enable the supervisor to plan work schedules and determine whether a replacement is required. In some instances, when the workload permits, it may be possible to allow employees to take vacation or other excused time off, if they so desire.

When employees report out on the day they are scheduled to work, they should call their immediate supervisor as soon as they determine that they are not going to be at work. In addition, employees should call their supervisor on all subsequent absent days. Absent employees should not be allowed to report their absences to a non-management employee unless designated by the Company to perform supervisory duties. Employees should not be allowed to report out using voice mail. Vacation or other time off may be requested via the process established and communicated by the Company (e.g. direct notice to supervisor, toll free number, or via automated system). See Article 5.07F of the applicable Working Agreements for more information.

The person accepting the absence report should question the employee tactfully as to why he or she is not at work. The employee's reasons for being absent will be critical in determining whether the employee will be paid (if applicable), and in cases of employees with attendance problems, whether the absence could cause disciplinary action to be initiated. If the employee is evasive or reluctant to give the reason for their


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absence, they should be advised that the Company respects their right to privacy but must know enough about the circumstances of the absence to determine how it should be handled and coded.

If FMLA is requested, the supervisor must submit the employee’s request for FMLA via the on-line process. The FMLA Administrator will determine whether the absence is covered under FMLA. For additional information, visit the FMLA Web Site HROneStop/Time & Attendance/Family Medical Leave Act.

6.02 LONG TERM ILLNESS

Supervisors should be alert to signs of long-term illness, which could keep employees off the job for extended periods of time. If this appears to be the case, employees should be asked if they have seen a doctor or taken other action to speed their recovery. In cases of minor illness or injury, it might be appropriate to ask employees if they think they might return to work later in the day or possibly come in and perform some other type of work ONLY if such work is available.

6.03 RECORDING ILLNESS

If the employee is ill, the supervisor should only record "ill" or "sick" under "Reason for Absence or Tardy" on the Form RF-3119 or equivalent documentation. Any actual description of the illness condition or short-term disability (STD) benefits condition on an official personnel record may result in the document being regarded as a medical record. Due to ADA and HIPPA, keeping of medical records in any official personnel file is prohibited. For more information, refer to the AT&T Privacy of Employee Records and Medical Information Policy available on AT&T OneStop.

6.04 NO REPORT

When employees are absent on a scheduled day and no report is received from them within a reasonable period of time, an effort should be made to contact the employee. When employees are absent without report, we need to know as much as possible about the circumstances surrounding their absence in order to make the proper decisions regarding the occurrence.

When employees fail to report themselves absent, the absence should not be considered as excused and should not be considered as paid time (if applicable), unless the employee offers compelling reasons why they were unable to advise us of their whereabouts.

When employees are absent without report and we have not been able to locate the employee for the second consecutive scheduled day, this information should be forwarded through the proper channels of the department for appropriate consideration. In this situation, the appropriate Human Resources Employee Relations Manager should be contacted for assistance.

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6.05 DOCTOR’S NOTE

Generally, supervisors should not require a doctor’s note for every illness absence. But neither can employees be paid for every illness absence based solely on their own statements or those of friends or relatives. Therefore, a certificate from the employee’s physician for a particular absence or absences may be required in appropriate circumstances.

7. RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECORD KEEPING

7.01 It is recommended that the supervisor maintain a working personnel file for attendance on each employee. It should contain this document and appropriate documentation of employee’s absences (i.e. RF-3119 or equivalent). The Employee Absence/Tardy Record (see Exhibit A) or equivalent should be maintained for at least the current year plus the previous two (2) years on every employee in the work group. The eLink Employee Attendance Report 1001 is a good source for maintaining attendance data on employees. The report provides an explanation of each absence type, including FMLA tracking information, incidental absence/reason for absence, disability, and miscellaneous time off.

In chronic absence cases, the supervisor may want to maintain attendance records in their possession for longer periods of time. Generally AT&T – Records Administration should maintain older records. For more information on retention of records, refer to Records Information Management website and the AT&T Personnel File Policy.

8. RECORD KEEPING

8.01 EMPLOYEE ABSENCE/TARDY RECORD

The Form RF-3119 or equivalent may serve as part of the official Company record of employee attendance. The Employee Absence/Tardy Record, Form RF-3119 or equivalent, should be maintained in the supervisor’s employee files.

There are a number of eLink self-service reports such as the Employee Attendance Report 1001 and the Monthly Attendance Summary Report 1019 to assist supervisors in recognizing good attendance as well as potential problems. Some organizations may use attendance tracking systems such as the AT&T Mechanized Attendance Tracking Tool (MATT); however, eLink maintains the official record of attendance. For eLink reports go to HROneStop/eLink Information.

8.02 ATTENDANCE DATA

All departments and all areas within the Company should keep attendance records in a standard manner because of the demand for consistent attendance records for promotion, transfer and discipline cases as well as requests for reliable attendance data from sources outside the Company, such as the Union and governmental agencies. The payroll system is the primary source for providing this data and must be accurate. It is

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imperative attendance data in “feeder systems or attendance tracking systems” match the payroll system and properly reflect the employee’s absences. In arbitration cases regarding attendance, the burden of proof lies with management and accurate records are mandatory.

8.03 CODES

When an employee misses any portion of work time for any reason on a scheduled day, the appropriate absence code and associated Absence Reason Code, when required, should be reported in eLink.

All absences, protected and unprotected, must be coded in eLink in accordance with the Time Reporting Manual (TRM) and the Working Agreement applicable to your employees. Always refer to the online version of the TRM for the most current information.

These codes are as follows:

8.04 TARDY CODE

MTR Description eLink Code

TY Tardy Paid MTDY

This condition exists when an employee fails to arrive at their designated work location at their scheduled time due to some delay of short duration. Tardy time is paid time and should be limited to no longer than a fourteen-minute interval. See Example.

After fourteen minutes, the employee is considered absent and the absent time will include the first fourteen minutes. Tardy time is not to be charged when an employee returns late from their break period and should be handled as an administrative problem. However, tardy time is charged if an employee returns late for the start of their second session.

Example: An employee oversleeps and arrives at work ten minutes late. This would be shown as MTDY 10 minutes on Form RF-3119 or equivalent and reported as MTDY 0.16 of an hour in eLink. See code MTDY in the eLink Time Reporting Manual for a chart showing the translation of minutes to percent of an hour.

If the employee reports before the end of the session, the absence will be reported as a part session of absence under the appropriate absence code. See Section 8.06F for Home Conditions Paid or Section 8.06G for Home Conditions Unpaid.

8.05 DISABILITY ABSENCE CODES

These codes are used to cover conditions when employees are absent and receive payment under the short-term disability (STD) program, or would receive payment under the STD program if their length of service entitled them to such payment, i.e.,


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employees with more than six months service. As emphasized in Section 8.16, the reason for absence on the RF-3119 or equivalent should simply state "STD" and should not describe the condition causing the STD benefits case.

An Absence Reason Code is required for certain absences recorded in eLink; however, if the employee is ill, the Absence Reason Code 100044 Illness-Other should be used.

Supervisors can access Attendance Quick Reference (AQR) and select “D” for more information on disability.

For additional information on how to report time for employees who are on disability, refer to eLink On-Line Documentation at https://operations.web.att.com/sites/eCORP-CS/elink/default.aspx.

A. Illness/Injury Short-Term Disability Benefits


IB Disability Uncertified Unpaid DISU

DISU is reported by the supervisor when an employee eligible for STD benefits is absent due to personal illness or injury beginning on the eighth (8th) full calendar day for each day the employee is absent. This code should continue to be reported until eLink receives the disability case information from the AT&T IDSC. It is the employee’s responsibility to report the disability claim to the AT&T IDSC by calling 1-866-276-2278.

This code is also used on the first full day of absence when an employee is again absent due to personal illness or injury within 14 days of a previous STD benefit absence.

In both situations, if STD benefit payments are authorized, the AT&T IDSC will send the appropriate code to eLink for pay treatment in accordance with the short-term disability program and the applicable Working Agreement.

If benefits are denied, the AT&T IDSC will send the absence code DISD – Disability Denied to eLink. This includes unpaid days for employees whose STD benefits have been suspended, but is not working due to the employee's personal physician's establishment of a return date later than the suspension of STD benefits date. This time should be summarized along with the STD benefit absence.

There are limited absence codes a supervisor can report during a denied disability (DISD). For more information on reporting absences during a denied disability refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

If the employee does not file a disability claim after 7 consecutive days of illness, or if the disability absence is denied, use FUIL if the absence is FMLA approved. Use of this code requires submission of the FMLA1 form. See Section 8.06H if absences are not FMLA approved.

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NOTES: If the employee requests, eligible paid time off may be substituted for denied disability if the absence is FMLA approved. See vacation – FVDD, VSDD or Excused Work Day/Personal Day – EPDD.

B. Unpaid STD Benefits Related Absence


XB* FMLA Unpaid Absence FUPA

XB Non-FMLA Unpaid Absence MUE0

FUPA covers unpaid continuous, incidental or intermittent segments of FMLA approved absences for the care of an ill family member or for the employee’s own medical appointments. The employee’s medical appointments include recurring incidental absence time that is within twelve (12) months of a related and approved short-term disability (STD) absence due to illness or Workers’ Compensation (WC). This code may be appropriate for absences related to chemotherapy, physical therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, etc. when the appointment CAN be scheduled outside normal working hours and employee elects to go during working hours. See Example. For more information on FUPA, see Section 8.09.

You must also record one of the following associated Absence Reason Codes in eLink for FMLA approved appointments:

F00008 - Dr. Appt/Therapy FMLA or

F00009 – Dr. Appt/Therapy Workers’ Compensation FMLA

Example: An employee who normally works 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday needs to attend physical therapy for two hours a day twice a week for six weeks following the original approved STD benefit absence. The physical therapy clinic is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; however, due to child care or other personal reasons, the employee insists on going to therapy during working hours. The absence should be coded FUPA with Absence Reason Code F00008 - Dr. Appt/Therapy FMLA.

If an employee has exhausted his/her FMLA entitlement, use MUE0 with one of the following Absence Reason Codes:

M00087 - Dr. Appt/Therapy

M00088 - Dr. Appt/Therapy Workers’ Compensation

Absences coded FUPA or MUE0 should be summarized to the original STD benefits case due to illness or WC and is not another incidental occurrence.


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MUE0 is not intended for use with absences for routine, follow-up doctor visits, even when they occur within twelve months of a related disability absence. The department is responsible for appropriate use and monitoring of this code. For more information on MUE0, see Section 8.07M.

Due to ADA restrictions, you should only show "therapy”, "rehabilitation," etc. as the reason for absence on the RF-3119 or equivalent.

C. Paid STD Benefits or Workers’ Compensation (WC) Related Absence


XBP Illness/Accident Partial Day or Session Paid MPE0

MPE0 covers paid absence due to an employee’s approved absence for recurring paid incidental absence time that is within twelve (12) months of a related short-term disability (STD) or Workers’ Compensation (WC) absence. This code may be appropriate for absences related to chemotherapy, physical therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, etc. when the appointment CANNOT be scheduled outside normal working hours. See Example below.

You must also use one of the following Absence Reason Codes:

M00087 - Dr. Appt/Therapy

M00088 - Dr. Appt/Therapy Workers’ Compensation

Example: An employee who works 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday needs to attend physical therapy for two hours a day twice a week for six weeks following the original approved STD benefit absence. The physical therapy clinic is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. This absence should be coded MPE0 with the associated Absence Reason Code.

The absences coded MPE0 should be summarized to the original approved STD benefits case due to illness or WC and is not another incidental occurrence. The department is responsible for appropriate use and monitoring of this code.

MPE0 is not intended for use with absences for routine, follow-up doctor visits, even when they occur within twelve months of a related disability absence. However, the decision to pay in instances other than stated above may be made in accordance with supervisory discretion under the provisions of appropriate Working Agreement. For more information on MPE0, see Section 8.07L – Miscellaneous Paid Absence.

Due to ADA restrictions, you should only show "therapy”, "rehabilitation," etc., as the reason for absence on the RF-3119 or equivalent.


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NOTE: MPE0 does not apply to Working Agreements that do not have miscellaneous pay provisions. For these Working Agreements see Section 8.05B (unless the AT&T IDSC has approved payment under Workers’ Compensation) and summarize as stated above.

D. Modified Tour


MT FMLA Illness Partial Day/Session Paid DISU

DISU is used for scheduled time not worked (paid) which is associated with a disability case when an employee returns to limited duty, as approved by the AT&T IDSC. If approved, this time is summarized to the original approved STD benefits case. See Example.

If STD benefit payments are authorized, the AT&T IDSC will send the appropriate code to eLink for pay treatment in accordance with the short-term disability program and the applicable Working Agreement.

Example: An employee may work half days for first three weeks back from surgery as determined by the AT&T IDSC. This absence should be coded DISU by the supervisor with the associated Absence Reason Code appropriate for the type of job accommodation that is being made. See the eLink Time Reporting Manual for more information.

8.06 INCIDENTAL ABSENCE CODES

These codes are used to cover absences of less than eight (8) calendar days due to illness or injury, personal reasons, and home conditions.

NOTE: The MTR system maintained special codes for an illness/accident (I/IP), illness relapse (IR, IRP) or illness/accident which arise out of employment with the Company (IA/IAD). However, eLink codes for reporting these absences are standard illness codes regardless of the type of incidental illness/injury absence. It is incumbent upon the supervisor to continue to code the absences consistent with these guidelines, eLink and the applicable Working Agreement.

A. Illness/Injury Relapse


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IR Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid ILLU

IR* FMLA Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid FILU

IRP Illness/Accident Full Day Paid (no more than 7 consecutive days)

ILLF

IRP* FMLA Illness/Accident Full Day Paid (first 7 consecutive days extending into an approved STD absence)

FILF

IRP Illness/Accident Partial Day/Session Paid ILLP

IRP* FMLA Illness/Accident Partial Day/Session Paid FILP

These codes are used to report an absence due to the same case of sickness within the previous 14 days. An illness relapse (same case of sickness) does not require the application of the unpaid waiting period as provided in some Working Agreements. The absences should be counted as two (2) different occurrences when evaluating attendance.

The supervisor is responsible for determining if the absence is a relapse and if the time is paid or unpaid in accordance with the applicable Working Agreement.

You must also use the appropriate Absence Reason Code when reporting an illness absence in eLink. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

These codes should not be used following a STD benefit case for the same illness/injury within 14 days, which would instead be coded DISU. See Section 8.05A. If such an absence occurs, the Disability Administrator should be called immediately on the first day of the relapse absence.

NOTE: If the employee requests, eligible paid time off may be substituted for a FMLA approved unpaid illness absence (e.g. FILU). See codes FVIL, FFH1, FFH2, FFH3, FEP1 or FEP3.

B. Illness/Injury Unpaid


I Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid ILLU

I* FMLA Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid FILU

I* FMLA Unpaid Illness (After 7 Consecutive Days) FUIL


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ILLU covers personal illness or injury time not paid that occurs for a full or partial day of illness or injury that is not FMLA approved.

FILU covers FMLA approved unpaid illness for a full or partial day. The supervisor is responsible for determining whether the illness is paid or unpaid based on the appropriate Working Agreement and submitting the employee’s request for FMLA to the FMLA Administrator.

FUIL may be used for illness after 7 consecutive days if the employee does not file a STD claim or if the employee has been denied disability and the absence is FMLA approved. If the absences are not FMLA approved see Section 8.06H.

Normally, doctor’s appointments are not coded with an illness code. An exception would be if the employee is ill and goes to the doctor because of the illness.

You must also use the appropriate Absence Reason Code when reporting an illness absence in eLink. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

NOTE: If employee requests, eligible paid time off may be substituted for the unpaid incidental absence if FMLA approved (FILU and FUIL). See codes FVIL, FFH1, FFH2, FFH3, FEP1 or FEP3.

C. Illness/Injury Paid


IP Illness/Accident Full Day Paid (no more than 7 consecutive days)

ILLF

IP Illness Partial Day/Session Paid ILLP

IP* FMLA Illness Full Day Paid (first 7 consecutive days extending into an approved STD absence)

FILF

IP* FMLA Illness Partial Day/Session Paid FILP

The ILLP or FILP code (based on FMLA approval) is used for a partial day or session for paid absence due to personal illness or injury. An employee who has a waiting period will not receive illness pay until he/she has been absent the equivalent of two days (15 or 16 consecutive hours) based on the employee’s normal tour.

The ILLF or FILF code (based on FMLA approval) is used for paid intermittent full day absence due to personal illness or injury or the first seven (7) full calendar days of such illness or injury prior to eligibility under the short-term disability program.


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For employees covered by the BST and Billing Working Agreements, employees will be treated as having the seniority they will achieve during the calendar year on January 1 of each year, regardless of their actual seniority date for purposes of sickness payments.

The paid days may be converted to an equivalent number of hours based on the employee’s normal scheduled daily tour. All paid sickness hours will count toward the maximum paid days. See Article 6.02 of the BST and Billing Working Agreement for sickness payment provisions prior to eligibility for short-term disability.

Employees who exhaust their personal illness cap will be granted a one time waiver of the cap as provided in the BST and Billing Working Agreement in connection with the days leading up to an approved disability. This paid time is generated by eLink if the employee’s current year illness cap has been depleted or will deplete prior to the approved disability. See Example.

Example: An employee who is eligible for a maximum of 5 paid sickness days has used the 5 paid days and is subsequently absent due to an approved disability. The employee will be paid for the days leading up to the approved disability absence.

If this same employee has used 3 of his/her paid sickness days, the employee will use the remaining 2 days of his/her paid maximum and will be paid for the remaining days leading up to the approved disability absence.

The supervisor is responsible for determining whether the illness is paid or unpaid based on the appropriate Working Agreement and for submitting the employee’s request for FMLA to the FMLA Administrator. All paid sickness hours will count toward the maximum paid days in contracts with paid illness provisions.

Normally, doctor’s appointments are not coded with an illness code. An exception would be if the employee is ill and goes to the doctor because of the illness.

You must also use the appropriate Absence Reason Code in eLink i.e. I00044 – Illness Other. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

D. Illness/on Duty Accident


IAD Illness/Accident Partial Day/Session Paid ILLP

IAD Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid ILLU

IA* FMLA Illness/Accident Partial Day/Session Paid FILP

IA* FMLA Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid FILU


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These codes are used to cover scheduled time lost on the day an on-duty accident occurs. The codes ILLP/ILLU should be used on the partial day of the on-duty accident if not FMLA approved. Absence of this type will be summarized as an incidental absence. Workers’ Compensation claims should be reported to the AT&T Integrated Disability Service Centers at 866-276-2278. The AT&T IDSC will determine whether a Workers’ Compensation claim will be accepted under the state’s Workers’ Compensation laws.

If FMLA approved, the codes FILP or FILU should be used dependent upon the time being paid or unpaid. All paid sickness hours will count toward the maximum paid days in contracts with paid illness provisions.

You must also use an Absence Reason Code i.e., I00043 – Worker’s Comp. Pending in eLink. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

Example: An employee scheduled 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. is injured on-the-job at 10:00 a.m., and has to leave work. The lost time during the first and second session is coded ILLP or ILLU (paid or unpaid) in accordance with the applicable Working Agreement and direction from the AT&T IDSC.

NOTE: If employee requests, eligible paid time off may be substituted for the unpaid incidental absence if FMLA approved. See FVIL, FFH1, FFH2, FFH3, FEP1 or FEP3.

E. Illness/On Duty Accident


IA Illness/Accident Full Day Paid (no more than 7 consecutive days)

ILLF

IA Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid ILLU

IA* FMLA Illness/Accident Full Day Paid (first 7 consecutive days extending into an approved STD absence)

FILF

IA* FMLA Illness/Accident Full or Partial Day Unpaid FILU

These codes are used for employees who are unable to work due to illness or accidental injury arising out of and in the course of employment by the Company. The ILLF or ILLU (paid or unpaid) code is used beginning with the first full day of absence for up to seven (7) calendar days or use FILF or FILU if FMLA approved. In either case, report the disability code DISU (IB) on the eighth (8th) calendar day.

Workers’ compensation claims should be reported to the AT&T Integrated Disability Service Center at 866-276-2278. The AT&T IDSC will determine whether a Workers’ Compensation claim will be accepted under the state’s Workers’ Compensation laws.


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If applicable, the unpaid waiting periods of the appropriate Working Agreement will apply if the AT&T IDSC does not classify the absence as an illness/accident covered by Workers’ Compensation. The supervisor is responsible for determining whether the illness is paid or unpaid based on the appropriate Working Agreement and discussion with the IDSC. All paid sickness hours will count toward the maximum paid days in contracts with paid illness provisions.

Absences classified as an accident should be coded ILLF or FILF if FMLA approved. Subsequent absences after 14 days related to the original illness/accident should also be charged to these codes unless there is a related STD benefits case. See Section 8.05A.

You must also use an Absence Reason Code i.e., I00043 – Workers’ Comp. Pending in eLink. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes. For more information on Workers’ Compensation visit HROneStop/Time & Attendance/Workers' Compensation.

Example: An employee scheduled 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. is injured on-the-job at 10:00 a.m., and has to leave work. The lost time during the first and second session is coded ILLP or ILLU (paid or unpaid) in accordance with the applicable Working Agreement and direction from the AT&T IDSC.

NOTE: If employee requests, eligible paid time off may be substituted for the unpaid incidental absence if FMLA approved. See FVIL, FFH1, FFH2, FFH3, FEP1 or FEP3.

F. Home Conditions Paid


HP Misc. Absence Paid - Non FMLA MPN0

Covers absence due to personal reasons or home conditions where supervisors exercising their discretion under the applicable Working Agreement decide that the employee should be paid. This code is also used if an employee is absent 15 minutes or more and the supervisor decides to pay the employee based on the reason for not being at work and the Working Agreement. These absences are included in absence tracking. See Example.

Example: An employee involved in a car accident on the way to work arrives at work two hours after his scheduled time of arrival. The entire period is considered as absent time. If the decision is made to pay the employee for this time, the absence would be reported as MPN0/2 hours with the

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appropriate Absence Reason Code. For unpaid time use MUNH in Section 8.06G.

In exercising managerial discretion regarding pay for such absences, some factors to be considered are:

1. Does the employee have an unusual or compelling reason for being absent that requires or demands his or her presence on the personal matter? This may include, but not be limited to, such conditions as critical illness or injury to a member of the immediate family or major surgery of a member of the immediate family.

2. What is the known or expected duration of the absence? In cases of extended illness of a member of the immediate family, even though it is of a critical nature, continued payment is not justified.

3. Has this employee been excused with pay on previous occasions due to similar circumstances? This privilege should not be abused or used excessively by any employee.

4. Is the employee asking for the time off simply because it would be more convenient or desirable to handle the personal matter during normal working hours? Employees are expected to handle their personal matters on their own time whenever possible.

5. The decision to pay or not to pay should be based on the circumstances in the case and the applicable Working Agreement, not whether or not a loss of pay would result a hardship on the employee.

6. Would all members of the work group be paid under similar circumstances? The decision to pay an employee for being off whose performance is satisfactory when an unsatisfactory or marginal performer would not be paid under similar circumstances could cause problems due to disparate treatment of employees.

Discretionary paid absences should be for compelling reasons and of an unexpected, non-recurring nature. They should be the RARE exception rather than the norm.

The use of MPN0 requires the appropriate Absence Reason Code in eLink as follows:

M00025 - Home emergency M00026 - Illness child non-FMLA M00027 - Illness family member non-FMLA M00028 - Illness parent non-FMLA M00029 - Illness spouse non-FMLA M00034 - Medical/dental non-FMLA M00036 - Newborn/foster non-FMLA M00037 - Other


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There are also various codes for reporting approved job accommodations. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

G. Home Conditions Unpaid


H Miscellaneous Absence - Full or Partial Day Unpaid MUNH

H* FMLA Unpaid Absence FUPA

MUNH covers unpaid absence for 15 minutes or more due to personal reasons (other than the employee’s own illness) or home conditions. This code should be used in all cases when an employee calls in but does not report for work, even though the supervisor directed him/her to come to work.

This code is used when the supervisor decides not to pay the employee based on the reason for not being at work. See Example.

Example: An employee is absent 25 minutes and the supervisor decides not to pay the employee. The employee must be paid for any quarter hour in which he/she performs work therefore, the time should be coded MUNH unpaid for .25 (15 minutes) in eLink and the additional 10 minutes charged to normal work codes. On Form RF-3119 or equivalent the 25 minutes the employee was absent should be shown.

You must also use an associated Absence Reason Code in eLink. Examples of appropriate use of the MUNH code are as follows:

M00002 - Loss of drivers License M00010 - Childcare M00013 - Court witness/subpoena (i.e., Court appearances where the employee is a principal to the proceedings, such as the defendant or plaintiff in a criminal or civil suit. M00023 - Funeral (e.g., Attend funeral of a friend) M00025 - Home emergency M00026 - Illness child non-FMLA M00034 - Medical/dental non-FMLA (e.g., Regular visits to a physician not associated with an STD benefit case or when an employee is referred to community resources by the EAP Administrator.

There are also various codes for reporting approved job accommodations. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and absence reason codes.


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FUPA covers FMLA approved absences for recurring medical treatments or to care for a family member. See Section 8.09 for more information.

NOTES: Normally if the time is available, the employee may use his/her eligible paid time off if requested before the absence occurs.

Employees who are eligible for Flexible Excused Time may use this time retroactively if proper notice is given. See the Working Agreement for more information.

H. Other Absences


F Miscellaneous Absence - Full or Partial Day Unpaid (up to 7 consecutive days)

MUNH

F Misc. Absence – Full Day Unpaid (greater than 7 Days) MUNL

F* FMLA Unpaid Absence FUPA

F* FMLA Unpaid Leave of Absence LOAF

These codes should be reported under the following circumstances:

1. Extended absences due to personal reasons or home conditions where no payment is received and the absence is not FMLA approved. The first seven calendar days would be coded MUNH. On the eighth (8th) day change to MUNL not to exceed a total of 30 consecutive days. If the absences are FMLA approved, refer to FUPA (Section 8.09) and LOAF (Section 8.07E).

2. MUNL is also used when an employee is not eligible for STD benefits (i.e., less than 6 months service) and is absent due to personal illness or injury, beginning on the eighth (8th) full calendar day the employee should report the disability to the AT&T IDSC. The department should call the IDSC to verify medical information was received and that the condition would have resulted in a certified disability if service requirements were met. The first seven (7) days of illness absence should be reported to the appropriate illness code. See Section 8.06B. The illness absences and associated absences reported to MUNL should be summarized as one occurrence when considering attendance in these circumstances.

If the absence is expected to exceed 30 days, the department can consider placing the employee on a leave of absence (typically the Sickness Non-eligible Leave of Absence if applicable). The department must process a formal leave of absence via the LOA Website. After approval, an ePCR transaction should be completed to place the employee on leave.


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MUNH requires an Absence Reason Code in eLink. See MUNH (Section 8.06G) for more information.

For additional information, refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and absence reason codes.

NOTE: All absences coded MUNL normally may not exceed 30 consecutive days. If the absence is more than 30 consecutive days, the employee should apply for a leave of absence through the online LOA Application at http://hronestop.att.com.

I. No Report


N Miscellaneous Absence Full or Partial Day Unpaid MUN0

Covers instances where no word is received from the employee in regard to their absence of a session or more (no report). After the second consecutive scheduled day of such absence, this condition should be referred through the proper channels of the department for appropriate consideration.

This code should also be used if it can be determined that the employee was absent due to his/her desire to leave town early before a Company holiday, malingering or minor indispositions, or failure to get back home after the holiday without valid reason. The absence is considered as unexcused and payment should be withheld. See Section 8.10.

The Absence Reason Code M00089 – No report must be reported in eLink for this condition.

NOTE: The use of this code for a full day on the last scheduled day preceding or the first day following a holiday will prevent the payment of holiday pay.

8.07 OTHER ABSENCE CODES

These codes are used to report other types of absences.

A. Paid Excused Work Day/Paid Flexible Excused Time/Paid Personal Days


DP Excused Work Day/Personal Day – Full or Partial Day Paid EP01

DP3 Excused Work Day/Personal Day Not Scheduled 3 Weeks in Advance Full or Partial Day Paid

EP03

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DP* FMLA Excused Work Day/Personal Day FEP1

D3* FMLA Excused Work Day/Personal Day Not Scheduled 3 Weeks in Advance

FEP3

Covers paid Excused Work Days/Paid Personal Days. If an employee works on his or her paid excused/personal day and the day is not rescheduled, refer to the Working Agreement on how to pay the employee and the Time Reporting Manual for use of proper codes.

An Excused Work Day/Personal Day may be substituted for a FMLA approved absence (FEP1/FEP3). Substitution of paid Excused Work Days (EPDD) for denied benefits that have not been FMLA approved may be allowed if the time is available. When substituting these days, an Absence Reason Code is required in eLink.

For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

NOTE: Granting Excused Work Days (EP01) in partial days that have not been designated as a flexible day or are not FMLA approved may not be appropriate under the provisions of the Working Agreement(s), please refer to the Agreement for guidance.

B. Unpaid Excused Work Day/Flexible Excused Time/Personal Day


D Excused Work Day/Personal Day Full or Partial Day Unpaid

EU01

D* There is no translation for D*. See FMLA Unpaid Absence (FUPA) Section 8.09.

Covers Excused Work Days, Flexible Excused Work Days or Personal Paid Days that are unpaid. If an employee works on his or her unpaid Excused Work Day/Personal Day and the day is not rescheduled, refer to the Working Agreement on how to pay the employee and Time Reporting Procedures for use of proper codes.

NOTE: Refer to the appropriate Working Agreement for guidance on granting time for partial days.

C. Holidays

Covers paid absent time for specified or optional holiday.


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HO Designated or Optional Holiday Full or Partial Day HOLD

HO Designated or Optional Holiday in a Holiday Week HOL2

HO3 Designated or Optional Holiday in a Holiday Week Not scheduled 3 Weeks in Advance

HOL3

HO* Designated or Optional Holiday Full or Partial Day/FMLA Approved Absence

FFH1

HO* Designated or Optional Holiday in a Holiday Week Full or Partial Day/FMLA Approved Absence

FFH2

H3* Designated or Optional Holiday Not Scheduled 3 Weeks in Advance Full or Partial Day/FMLA Approved Absence

FFH3

Corporate wide holidays are recognized by eLink and no time reporting is required. Other holidays, which are specific to a region, company or Working Agreement, have to be positively reported.

If an employee requests, an Optional Holiday may be substituted for a FMLA approved unpaid absence (see FFH1, FFH2, or FFH3). When substituting these days, an Absence Reason Code is required in eLink. For more information on how to report time for holidays, refer to the Time Reporting Manual.

D. Paid Vacation


VP Vacation Full or Partial Day VAC1

VP Vacation Substitution for Denied Benefits VSDD

VP* Vacation Substitution for FMLA Approved Unpaid Absence

FVAC

VP* Vacation Substitution for FMLA Approved Unpaid Illness FVIL

VP* Vacation Substitution for Denied Disability for FMLA Approved Unpaid Absence

FVDD

Covers paid absence time for vacation. Employees should not be allowed to substitute vacation for absences after the absence has already begun or has already occurred unless FMLA approved. Substituting vacation for periods of illness distorts the employee’s attendance record and could delay sickness benefits to which they may be entitled. Refer to the Working Agreement for information on scheduling and rescheduling vacation due to illness.


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If an absence is FMLA approved (illness or denied disability) and the employee requests to have the unpaid absence time changed to vacation, the Company must grant the request. When reporting FVAC, FVIL, or FVDD an Absence Reason Code is required in eLink.

For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, see Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

NOTE: Substitution of vacation (VSDD) for denied benefits that are not FMLA approved may be allowed if the time was available at the time of the absence.

E. Excused Time


E Excused Time – Unpaid Time SURP

E Unpaid Departmental Leave Full Days LOAD

E* FMLA Unpaid Absence FUPA

E* FMLA Unpaid Leave of Absence LOAF

There are two types of excused time. The Company offers voluntary unpaid excused time off during intermittent slack work periods (SURP). This time is available to those employees to whom it is offered and who desire it and, as a general practice, the employees are not questioned as to why they desire the time off. Excused time (SURP) should not be granted after the employee is already late or absent from work. See Example below.

The second type of excused time is where employees request the time off and the Company can grant it without affecting the work (LOAD). Employees can be excused or granted a departmental leave (LOAD) for up to 30 days except under those circumstances where a formal leave is mandatory, such as anticipated disability cases. Under no circumstances should time coded to one of the excused time codes above be used in absence summaries or considered in analyzing an employee's performance or attendance.

FUPA (Section 8.09) and LOAF (Section 8.07J) are used for FMLA approved unpaid absences. FUPA requires an Absence Reason Code in eLink. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

Example: An employee has car trouble and is already late (absent) for his/her first session when he/she contacts the supervisor. The employee advises the


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supervisor that he/she will be unable to get to work that day and requests excused time (SURP). The employee should not be shown as excused for the first session; however, if the employee desires excused time for the second session, the request should be granted if the time is available. The first session absence should be coded with the appropriate absence code. See Section 8.06G.

F. Union Activities Paid


UAP Union Activities Paid MXUP

This code is used to report time for an employee who is a Certified Union Representative while attending meetings with management of more than fifteen minutes. All time spent on Union activities in excess of fifteen minutes should be reported for payroll purposes as Code MXUU or MXUP, dependent upon receipt by the employee's supervisor of Form RF-3307, Authorization for Payment of Union Management Conference Time. The time should be coded MXUU until the signed form is received. All Certified Union Representatives in the employ of the Company, including Local Union Presidents, are required to complete the Authorization For Payment of Union Management Conference Time (Form RF-3307) and furnish to their supervisor.

Examples of paid Union activities which may be appropriate are:

― Discipline meetings where employee has requested representation.

― Scheduled informal grievance meetings.

― Formal grievance meetings/panel meetings.

― Miscellaneous meetings requested by management where management agrees to pay for the time on a case by case basis. These include meetings such as dialogue meetings, conferences, etc.

― Meeting with management in other AT&T companies on grievances or other meetings as agreed.

― Asset Protection investigatory interviews if requested by the employee when the employee believes discipline may result. Limited to one (1) paid Union Representative.

An Absence Reason Code is required in eLink. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes.

The RF-3307 is located under “Regional Labor Forms” at http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/index.cfm?fuseaction=Display&type=LaborSoutheastMain

http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/index.cfm?fuseaction=Display&type=LaborSoutheastMain


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G. Unpaid Union Activities


UA Union Activities Unpaid MXUU

MXUU covers an employee’s time performing work for the Union. The time coded to MXUU is not paid by Company. An employee cannot be excused longer than 30 consecutive days in any one period for Union activity without securing a formal leave. This code applies to employees who are elected or appointed to an office or committee in or for the Local, District, or National Union to perform lawful union duties.

Examples of unpaid Union activities which may be appropriate are:

― Investigatory interviews or fact finding interviews between the Company and the employee where the employee has requested Union Representation (unpaid unless Asset Protection is involved)

― New hire orientations

― Time consumed in preparing for or scheduling a grievance or other meeting

― Working at the Union hall

― Union elections

― Union Representative training

― CWA workshops

― Records requests

― Handling benefits issues

― Informational picketing

― Mobilization

― Breaks while employee is on UA time

― Travel time to and/or from the Union office

― Time spent preparing for or attending arbitrations

An Absence Reason Code is not required in eLink for unpaid Union activities. A UA/UAP Coding for Union Activity Matrix is located under “Other Information” at http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/index.cfm?fuseaction=Display&type=LaborSoutheastMain

NOTE: Time limits for unpaid Union activities vary by Working Agreement. Refer to the appropriate Agreement for more information.

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H. Suspension


K Suspension SUSP

SUSP covers unpaid time off due to the suspension of an employee.

NOTE: For suspensions with pay use MPE0 with Action Reason Code M00076 – Suspension with pay.

I. Strike


S Work Stoppage Unpaid MWSX

MWSX covers unpaid time off due to strikes or other work stoppages.

J. Leaves of Absences – FMLA Qualifying (Excludes Military)


FMLA Unpaid Leave of Absence LOAF

LOAF is reported for all unpaid leaves of absence that are FMLA qualifying such as:

Anticipated Disability Leave (ADL)

Care of Newborn Child Leave (CNC)

Dependent (Family) Care Leave (DCL)

Medical Leave

Applications for a leave of absence must be submitted online via HROneStop. For more information go to HROneStop/Time & Attendance/Company Leaves of Absence.

K. Military Leave


ML Military Service - Unpaid MUE0

ML Military Emergency Duty – Full or Partial Days Paid MMIE

ML Military Service – Training Duty Paid MMIS

MUE0 codes covers unpaid absence time when an employee is ordered to military duty

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for inactive training or active emergency services for 30 days or less. If the absence will be more than 30 days, a formal leave of absence is required. Absence Reason Code M00064 – Military Service is required with the MUE0 code.

MMIE covers paid time when an employee is called upon for emergency service which requires a leave of absence.

MMIS is used for training duty for less than 30 days and requires an Action Reason Code as follows:

M00055 - Active Duty

M00056 - Training

For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence and reason codes. Please refer to AT&T OneStop or your ERM for more information on military leave.

L. Miscellaneous Paid Absence


MP Miscellaneous Paid – Full or Partial Days MPE0

MP Miscellaneous Paid (Considered Work Time under FLSA) MPET

MPE0 covers paid absence time when an employee is not at work due to legal or personal obligations that are primarily beyond their control. The Company has a contractual and/or legal obligation to excuse employees with pay for certain circumstances.

Following are examples of the circumstances which may be provided in the Working Agreement(s).

M00021 - Election Duty (With reasonable notice the employee may perform service at the polls in connection with elections. Pay is limited to one day and the employee must be able to provide official documentation.)

M00023 – Funeral (Immediate Family Member as defined in the Working Agreement)

M00032 - Jury Duty

M00004 – Arrange transfer to another location (i.e., Reasonable time off for moving in connection with a transfer as provided for under the applicable Working Agreement.)

M00053 – Voting (i.e., If reasonable notice is given to the supervisor and the employee is scheduled a tour that does not provide at least two hours off during the time the polls are open.)


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In Working Agreements with provisions for paid time at the discretion of the supervisor, this code may be used for other conditions where employees are obligated to be away from their job, and in the judgment of their immediate supervisor, pay is warranted. The supervisor's decision to pay or not to pay under these conditions should be governed by the same general considerations outlined in Section 8.06F - Home Conditions code MPN0.

Discretionary paid absences should be for compelling reasons and of an unexpected, non-recurring nature. They should be the RARE exception rather than the norm.

The conditions outlined below are additional examples of absences that may be appropriately coded MPE0 with the associated Absence Reason Code:

M00023 – Funeral (Time off to attend the funeral of relatives not considered in the immediate family as defined in the Working Agreement.)

M00024 - Emergency Weather Conditions (in compliance with the Emergency Conditions Policy)

M00076 – Suspension with pay.

M00087 – Dr. Appt/Therapy (e.g., Time spent for consultation with the Employee Assistance (EA) Counselor during scheduled work hours. Counseling sessions with an EA Counselor are determined on a case by case basis by the EAP Administrator (not to exceed 5 sessions per year per issue). An attendance form from the counselor is required. If employee is referred by the Counselor to other community resources use MUNH or employee may request eligible time off if available.) As information, Employee Assistance should never be shown on Form RF-3119 or equivalent as a reason for the absence).

M00088 – Dr. Appt/therapy WC (An absence related to a Workers’ Compensation injury for follow-up visits, testing or therapy within a year of the accident date when there is no associated approved short-term disability case.)

MPET covers certain miscellaneous paid absences that are Company directed and considered as time worked under FLSA such as:

M00011 – Company initiated medical appointment

M00012 – Company initiated court

M00051 – Volunteer - Company Sponsored (i.e., Employee’s scheduled time spent on Pioneer activities for those in appointed or elected positions.)

M00092 – Grievance Meeting – employee

M00093 – Disciplinary meeting – employee


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Various absence reason codes are used for job accommodations. For more information refer to the Time Reporting Manual, Section 1.6 for a complete listing of absence reason codes.

M. Miscellaneous Unpaid Absence


M Miscellaneous Absence Unpaid MUE0

M* FMLA Unpaid Absence FUPA

Covers unpaid absence time when employees are not at work due to legal or personal obligations primarily beyond their control. This code is used for conditions when employees are obligated to be away from their job, and in the judgment of their immediate supervisor, pay is not warranted.

Following are conditions that illustrate the types of absences, which may be appropriately coded MUE0 with the associated Absence Reason Code:

M00023 – Funeral (Time off to attend funerals of relatives not considered in the immediate family as defined in the Working Agreement.)

M00024 - Emergency Weather Conditions (in compliance with the Emergency Conditions Policy)

M00037 – Other (e.g., Time off for an EEOC charge investigation where the employee is the charging party.)


8.08 USE OF MISCELLANEOUS PAID AND UNPAID ABSENCE CODES

Since absences coded MUE0, MPE0 and MPET are not summarized, which means that they are not considered in an employee's total absence, supervisors should exercise caution in reporting absences to these codes. In instances where an employee is sick, has home problems, or personal reasons for not being at work, this time should be shown to an illness code or other appropriate absence codes and not to MUE0, MPE0 or MPET.

The following reference list is offered as examples of miscellaneous absence coding:

MTR

ABSENCE

REASON

eLink

CODE

eLink

REASON CODE

H Act of sale for new home purchase MUNH M00037

H Son ill (non-FMLA) MUNH M00026


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H Attending court session with a dependent MUNH M00037

HP Wife having emergency surgery MPN0 M00029

MP Subpoenaed to appear in court (not plaintiff or defendant)

MPE0 M00013

H Defendant or plaintiff in lawsuit MUNH M00037

M Attend funeral of relative (not in immediate family)

MUE0 M00023

H Attend funeral of friend MUNH M00023

MP Pioneer activity for elected/appointed position

MPET M00051

H Employee meets with his attorney MUNH M00037

H 2 hours late to work due to traffic delay caused by an accident (employee not in accident) and supervisor decides not to pay.

MUNH M00037

H Annual physical and dental examination MUNH M00034

H Meeting with child's teacher about suspension

MUNH M00037

N No Report from employee during 1st session and illness is reported for 2nd session. See Example.

MUN0

ILLU/ILLP

M00089

(1st session)

I00044

(2nd session)

Example: An employee is scheduled 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with lunch 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. and doesn’t report out ill until 2:30 p.m. Use MUN0 with the Absence Reason Code M00089 - No Report for the first session and report the appropriate illness code for the second session of the tour i.e., ILLU/ILLP (unpaid or paid based on Working Agreement).

The quick reference list is offered as examples of miscellaneous absence coding; however, when circumstances permit employees may be allowed to use eligible time off i.e., excused time, Excused Work Days, Personal Paid Time, Optional Holidays, or Vacation as provided under the Working Agreement to handle personal affairs, as appropriate.

8.09 FMLA APPROVED UNPAID ABSENCES



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FMLA Unpaid Absence FUPA

FUPA covers absence for the care of an ill family member (parent, spouse, or child) for continuous, incidental, or intermittent segments of FMLA approved absence time or for the employee’s own FMLA approved medical appointments or recurring medical treatments.

Examples of Absence Reason Codes are as follows:

F00001 – Illness parent - FMLA F00002 – Illness spouse - FMLA F00003 – Illness child - FMLA

F00004 – Appointment family member - FMLA F00008 – Dr. Appt./Therapy FMLA F00009 – Dr. Appt./Therapy Workers’ Comp FMLA F00010 – Self Appointment

This code should not be used for an employee’s own illness.


8.10 EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

The distinction between an excused or unexcused absence is important in making decisions regarding pay for an authorized holiday when the employee is absent on either of the days which immediately precede or follow the holiday or is absent when scheduled to work on the holiday.

Before an absence is considered as excused on the above occasions, the supervisor should establish that the absence was due to a good reason such as illness or pressing home or personal circumstances. If it can be determined that the employee was absent due to his or her desire to leave town early before the holiday, malingering or minor indispositions, or failure to get back home after the holiday without valid reason, the absence should be considered as unexcused and payment should be withheld by reporting the absence to MUNO and Action Reason Code M00089 for no report.

In all instances where an employee fails to report out, the absence should be considered as unexcused unless the employee offers acceptable reasons why the absence was not properly reported.

8.11 PART SESSIONS

A part session absence is an absence that is less than a full session.

Employees must be paid for any quarter hour in which he/she performs work. Absences of less than a session should be shown with the appropriate absence code


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and the number of hours absent rounded to the nearest quarter hour in which the employee performed no work.

Example: An employee is absent 25 minutes and the supervisor decides not to pay the employee. The time should be coded with the appropriate absence unpaid code for .25 (15 minutes) in eLink and the additional 10 minutes is charged to normal work codes. On Form RF-3119 or equivalent the actual 25 minutes the employee was absent should be shown.

If the absence amounts to as much as a session, the number of hours should be reported. For example, in Working Agreements with provisions for illness pay, an employee with a two-day waiting period prior to receiving departmental illness pay is scheduled 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee leaves work ill at 10:00 a.m. and does not return. The absence is coded as follows:

FMLA Approved: TIME REPORT CODE START TIME END TIME FILU (unpaid) 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

FILU (unpaid) 1:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

If Not FMLA Approved: TIME REPORT CODE START TIME END TIME ILLU (unpaid) 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

ILLU (unpaid) 1:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

The employee will not receive pay until he/she has been absent due to illness the equivalent of two days (15 or 16 consecutive hours) based on the employee’s normal tour (7½ or 8 hours).

NOTE: Part session absences impact attendance much like an employee who is tardy. Occasionally, an employee has satisfactory attendance except for numerous part session absences. Nevertheless, we must take disciplinary action, as appropriate.

8.12 SUMMARIZATION

There are a number of time management reports available in eLink to assist with administering attendance. For more information on eLink reports go to https://operations.web.att.com/sites/eCORP-CS/elink/default.aspx.


http://docweb.sbc.com/




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8.13 SUMMARIZED AND NON-SUMMARIZED ABSENCE CODES

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The eLink system utilizes separate codes for FMLA related absences as well as Absence Reason Codes as described in Section 8.09 of these guidelines. FMLA approved absences are not summarized. The decision about the proper code for time reporting and the decision about whether or not an absence is covered by FMLA are two separate decision points.

The following codes will be accepted by eLink indicating the time as FMLA approved:

FEP1, FEP3, FFH1, FFH2, FFH3, FICD, FILF, FILP, FILU, FP01, FP02, FP04, FT01, FT02, FT04, FUIL, FUPA, FVAC, FVDD, FVIL, LOAD and LOAF

The following chart shows other summarized and non-summarized codes:

CATEGORY MTR CODES eLink CODES

Summarized as Incidental Illness

I, IP, IA, IAD, IR, IRP

ILLU, ILLF, ILLP

Not Summarized as Incidental Illness

I*, IP*, IA*, IAD*, IR*, IRP*

FILU, FILF, FILP, FUIL (1)

Summarized as Disability IB, MT, NMT DISU, DISD, DP01, DP02, DP04, DT01, DT02, DT04, FIDC, FP01, FP02, FP04, FT01, FT02, FT04, ILDC

XB, XBP FUPA, MUE0, MPE0 (2)

Summarized Miscellaneous Codes

H

N

F

HP

TY

MUNH

MUN0

MUNH/MUNL(3)

MPNO

MTDY

Not Summarized Miscellaneous Codes

MP

M

K

S

E

MPE0, MPET

MUE0

SUSP

MWSX

SURP, LOAD

(1) Unless FMLA approved or associated with an approved STD case which would be summarized as disability.

(2) Absences summarized with the original STD benefits case as appropriate.


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(3) Code MUNL is used for greater than 7 days of absence.

Any absences coded LOAD (departmental leave), FUPA (Unpaid FMLA), LOAF (Unpaid FMLA Leave), MXUU (Union Unpaid), MXUP (Union Paid), vacation, holidays, excused work days/personal days, FMLA approved illness and formal leaves of absence should not be summarized.

8.14 OCCURRENCES

Occurrences are associated with summarized absence codes. If an absence is broken by work time, the absence time is counted as a different occurrence. Supervisors are responsible for the tracking of occurrences.

Example: An employee is out ill for two days and reports back to work for one day and then reports out again with the same illness for two more days. The four day absence should be treated and classified as two occurrences. In Working Agreements that provide for unpaid waiting periods, only one waiting period would be applicable since it was the same case of illness which occurred during the 14-day period. Refer to the Working Agreement for more information on waiting periods and maximum paid illness days.

8.15 CORRECTION PROCEDURES

An employee’s attendance should be tracked in accordance with the Attendance and Punctuality Guidelines. The main purpose is to accumulate monthly and yearly summaries of incidental and disability absences to enable a supervisor to recognize and control attendance problems.

The on-line Time Reporting Manual (TRM) describes all time evaluation, feeder, and disability interface errors and provides the steps required to correct the errors.

8.16 EMPLOYEE ABSENCE/TARDY RECORD

The Form RF-3119 or equivalent should be kept for each employee. The basic purpose of the form is to record the reason the employee gave for his/her absence. While an employee's reason for being absent is important in analyzing absence problems and taking corrective action, the ADA may consider detailed absence information which describes a specific medical condition to be the same as a medical record. Therefore, due to ADA and HIPPA, keeping medical records in any official personnel file is prohibited. A good rule of thumb is that any other codes can be explained in detail as long as a medical condition is not described.


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Example: Time coded to an illness code should be described as "ill" or "sick." Any time coded to a disability code should be explained on the RF-3119 or equivalent as "STD" with no details of the medical condition.

Each time the employee misses any portion of scheduled time, it should be explained on Form RF-3119 or equivalent. The only exceptions are excused time, Leaves of Absence, Union Activity, Holiday/Optional Holiday, Excused Work Day/Personal Day, and Vacation.

The reasons an employee was suspended (SUSP) or reasons for work stoppages (MWSX) should not be explained, but the dates of the occurrences and the number of days absent should be shown.

A separate entry should be made on Form RF-3119 or equivalent each day the employee is absent. The only occasions where absences should be grouped into one entry is on disability cases. The entire period of disability should be shown as one entry. This period begins with the first full day of absence due to the disability and includes any incidental absences that extend into a disability. If an employee is absent an entire calendar week due to disability, only five days should be counted as disability absence for attendance records.

Entering disability cases on Form RF-3119 or equivalent does not preclude the necessity of adhering to the Privacy of Employee Records Guidelines concerning STD benefit cases.

The posting of information on Form RF-3119 or equivalent does not constitute a condition which requires that non-management employees be advised that such an entry has been made.

Exhibit A demonstrates the proper method of maintaining Form RF-3119. Equivalent documentation should be maintained accordingly.

8.17 RECORD KEEPING CONTROLS

Form RF-3119 or equivalent and eLink reports must be maintained accurately and verified by the immediate supervisor if we are to have a reasonably uniform and complete attendance control program and to help ensure that we comply with the ADA.

9. GUIDELINES FOR CONTROLLING ABSENCES

The following guidelines are offered to assist in controlling absence problems.

9.01 HANDLING ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS

The results of several studies on attendance within our industry reveal that a large majority of our employees have no attendance problems.


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Employees may be considered as having an attendance problem if they have:

A. Frequent absences of short duration including part sessions (incidental absences);

B. Repeated absences of long duration;

C. Frequent tardiness; or

D. A combination of excessive incidental absences, repeated long duration absences and tardiness.

Since the Company does not have attendance evaluation scales and does not recommend that such numerical standards be used, supervisors must determine in their own judgment when an attendance problem exists. The Company attendance policy does not stipulate what corrective action would be most effective and when it should be administered. As in other parts of the management job, the control of absence works best with a planned program.

The absence control program should include the following: 9.02 MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS

The first step in an absence control program is the maintenance of attendance records. Accurate, up-to-date records are indispensable as an aid to management in the supervision of attendance problems.

There are eLink reports available that can show at a glance when absence of an individual or a group is on the increase and action is needed. Time and Attendance Reports give a record of reasons for absence which can signal a developing problem condition and can serve as a basis for discussion with an employee whose attendance is not satisfactory.

NOTE: All RF-3181B entries (B-forms) should be faxed to 205 321-5008 for retention along with supporting official attendance records.

9.03 ONGOING REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF ATTENDANCE RECORDS

The greatest number of poor attendance cases are concentrated in a relatively small number of employees whose attendance requires constant and close supervision. To prevent poor attendance patterns from developing without recognition, it is necessary to review the past record of absence each time any employee is absent or tardy.

In addition to the review of the record of each individual on each occurrence of absence, the immediate supervisor should also review the attendance records of everyone in his/her group at the end of each month. Some signs to look for in analyzing attendance are:

A. Cumulative Absence in Past Twelve Months


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The past twelve months is the most commonly used review period. It gives a good picture of the employee's current status in regard to attendance. In assessing the cumulative absence in the past 12 months, the number of occurrences, the reasons for the absences, and the likelihood of recurrence should be considered. In some instances, such as repeated disability cases, it may be appropriate to review the employee's entire attendance history.

B. Average Absence

If no one in a group appears to be absent excessively yet total absence for the group exceeds expectations, the supervisor should be concerned. On the other hand, the supervisor should be alert to absence problems of individuals even though the group average is satisfactory. Although there is no simple formula for achieving consistency, disparate treatment must be avoided.

C. Pattern Absence

Another indication of an attendance problem is absence which falls into a pattern. This pattern might be one of Friday and Monday absences; it might relate to work load changes or certain days of the month. Form RF-3119 or equivalent can be helpful in making this analysis.

D. Increasing Absence

Any indication of a growing number of absences either by an individual or for the group as a whole may signal the start of an absence problem and should be cause for concern. The supervisor should talk with the employee to find out whether there are any new circumstances that might justify his/her absence and to be certain there is a mutual understanding of the absence record and its seriousness.

E. Consistent Absence

Frequent absence by any member of the group, no matter how valid the reason for absence (excluding FMLA approved absence), should be examined critically to determine if help is needed or if the individual is unsuited for work in our business.

It is also possible that the employee is a qualified individual with a disability under ADA. It is the employee’s responsibility, if he/she has a disability, to request, unless a disability is otherwise obvious or apparent, a reasonable accommodation from the Company in order to meet our attendance standards.

While we may make a reasonable accommodation, the employee is still required to meet the same attendance standards as any other employee who does not have a disability. For training and information on job accommodations, go to Job Accommodation on AT&T OneStop.

F. Measure of Absenteeism

The most useful measurement is the absentee rate expressed as a percentage (days absent divided by days scheduled). By days scheduled, we include all days the

http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/index.cfm?fuseaction=Display&type=ManYourTeamTWP

http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/index.cfm?fuseaction=Display&type=ManYourTeamTWP


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employee was scheduled or would have been scheduled had it not been for his absence. For example, someone absent 22 of 220 scheduled days in a year has an absentee rate of 10 percent. This rate is a useful tool for evaluating the seriousness of an employee's absenteeism as well as determining whether an employee's absenteeism is improving or worsening in response to corrective discipline.

9.04 DETERMINING WHEN CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

The immediate supervisors are the best persons in the organization to determine when corrective action should be taken on attendance problems. They should know the employee’s problems and attitude toward attendance better than anyone else. They should also have a feel for what it will take to encourage the employee to improve their attendance to a satisfactory level.

Some important considerations in the decision to initiate corrective action are:

A. Length of Service

It is often within the first year of service that habits and attitudes are developed that determines attendance performance for the rest of the employee's career. Therefore, emphasis must be placed on the importance of regular attendance from the first workday and at the first sign of any attendance problem. Most employees follow the attendance pattern they set in the first several years.

B. Employee's Health Status

When the absence problem involves recurrence of related illnesses or a series of minor illnesses, the supervisor should contact their ERM for advice before imposing discipline.

C. Discretion

A great deal of discretion is required in taking corrective action on attendance problems due to poor health. When an employee returns from a period of absence due to sickness, corrective action taken in regard to excessive absence is a sensitive matter. When it becomes apparent that an employee is not going to meet the requirements of the job due to poor health, corrective action should be initiated. If it is determined that alcoholism or other substance abuse is a factor in the employee's attendance problem, the employee should be referred to Employee Assistance.

D. Past Performance

An analysis of an employee's attendance history may reveal that he/she had some similar attendance problems in the past, and the present trend indicates further problems of the same nature. As one Arbitrator stated, "The prediction of future events or conditions always depends greatly on an assessment of past experience." If an employee's current record indicates recurrence of old problems, immediate corrective action might prevent the situation from getting out of hand.


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E. Consequences of Delay

Failure to take timely corrective action can weaken the Company's position in two ways:

1. Failure to act would wrongfully be conceived as accepting, excusing or condoning poor attendance. It might be argued in the grievance procedure or at arbitration that the Company gave the employee reason to think that poor attendance would not result in a penalty because of the Company's inactivity in the past under similar circumstances; and

2. When the Company fails to take corrective action in one case; it tends to erode our position in taking corrective action in a similar or comparable pattern.

F. Personal Circumstances

The supervisor should not fail to take corrective action because of sympathy for an employee's personal circumstances. Many people have tragic reasons for their poor attendance. When it becomes apparent that an employee cannot meet the requirements of the job because of attendance problems, immediate steps must be taken to address the situation, which may lead to dismissal of the employee.

G. Work Performance

An employee's work performance should not affect the decision to take corrective action for poor attendance. In our Company, quality and quantity of work are considered separately from the employee's attendance performance. In some cases, supervisors will take disciplinary action against employees for poor attendance when really they are more concerned about the employee's poor work performance. It is often easier to document poor attendance than it is to establish that an employee's work performance is substantially substandard.

On the other hand, many supervisors hesitate to take corrective action on an employee's poor attendance if their work is good when they are on the job. In either instance, we run the risk of showing disparate treatment in an attendance matter because of the employee's quality and quantity of work.

H. Consistency

In arriving at a decision to initiate corrective action on an attendance matter, it should be recognized that consistent enforcement of the Company's policies covering absenteeism would cause less resentment over the long term than the varying and perhaps arbitrary application of rules. Supervisors who are inconsistent in applying corrective action in their groups will not only run the risk of losing the respect of their subordinates but also will leave themselves wide open to charges of "playing favorites."

9.05 STEPS IN CORRECTING ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS


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The reason that our Company has progressive steps in our corrective process is that individuals vary widely in their response to any particular action taken by the Company. We always want to apply the mildest form of corrective action that we can use to remedy the problem.

The fact that someone is a qualified individual with a disability under the ADA does not protect him/her from the same type of discipline for attendance and punctuality as an employee who is not disabled. These employees are expected to meet the same standards, even though we may be making reasonable accommodations for them.

Some individuals will react favorably to an informal discussion pointing out their attendance shortcomings. Other individuals will require the Company to demonstrate that it is serious in its requirements for good attendance.

A. Informal Discussion

When an employee's attendance record is such that the supervisor feels that he/she should initiate corrective action, the first step should be an informal discussion between the employee and the supervisor concerning the problem. The discussion should take place as soon after the employee's return from an occurrence of absence as is appropriate. The supervisor should:

1. Hold the discussion in private and away from the work area if possible.

2. Verify that the employee's attendance records are summarized accurately, and be familiar with them. Ensure records in feeder systems and attendance tracking systems match eLink records.

3. Make clear to the employee at the outset that the discussion does not constitute any type of disciplinary action and that there will be no personnel record entries made.

3. Emphasize that the discussion is being held because you are concerned about the unsatisfactory attendance trend and you want to help him/her improve their record before any formal corrective action is necessary.

5. Allow the employee to inspect the attendance record.

6. Review with the employee the cumulative absence over a period of time such as the past twelve months and discuss recent periods of absence that led to your present concern.

7. Permit the employee to participate in analyzing and appraising the record. Ask for the reasons for the absences and listen openly. Attempt to get the employee to talk about any problems that have contributed to the unsatisfactory record.

Have the employee determine the nature of the attendance problem and state what remedial steps he/she will take to bring about the necessary improvement and when the steps will be initiated.


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8. Leave the employee with two impressions:

− Improvement in attendance to a satisfactory level is needed and is expected, and

− The employee has someone to talk with about the problem and who is willing to help in any way that is practical.

The prime objective of the informal discussion is to secure improvement in attendance to a satisfactory level without taking any further corrective action. Unless there are aggravating circumstances, such as a flagrant case of malingering, the informal discussion should precede any formal corrective action requiring a personnel record entry. It is not necessary to document informal discussions; however, a supervisory note of the discussion is advisable. The informal discussion step affords the employee an opportunity to improve and correct his/her attendance without any formal action being taken. Many employees will appreciate this consideration and take advantage of it.

B. Counseling

This is the first formal step in the corrective process. It is referred to as formal because the counseling interview is accompanied by a written entry in the employee's personnel record on Form 3181-B. The decision to make an entry in an employee's records should not be taken lightly. If the employee takes pride in their job, he/she may resent this action. Personnel record entries can cause irreparable damage to an employee’s morale when they have had years of good or perfect attendance only to have their records blemished because of a few uncontrollable incidental absences or a STD benefit case that involved serious illness or injury. Before a counseling entry is made, the decision should have been reached that the employee has an attendance problem that apparently is not going to be corrected by informal efforts and is not likely to correct itself by virtue of improved health, etc.

The following points should be covered in the counseling session:

1. Review the employee's attendance record. Point out the total number of days and occurrences in the period under review, such as the past twelve months. Discuss the occurrences of absences that led to the counseling session. Review the past informal discussions and the corrective steps they decided upon. Ask the employee why he/she has not made sufficient improvement.

2. Point out to the employee that his/her attendance is getting into a problem area and has been discussed informally in the past.

3. Attempt to help the employee find solutions to the causes of the attendance problems. Offer suggestions and agree upon further corrective actions to be taken. This would be an appropriate time to mention Employee Assistance to an


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employee as a way to help work through any personal problems, which might be causing him/her to have absences.

4. Have employee summarize what action he/she will initiate to improve the attendance to a satisfactory level.

5. Encourage the employee to take necessary corrective measures immediately.

6. Tell the employee that an entry will be made in his/her personnel record in reference to the unsatisfactory attendance.

The counseling entry should have a clear statement to the effect that the employee was "Counseled With" concerning his/her attendance. Counseling entries generally should not include threats of discipline if the performance does not improve. Supervisors should be sure that, if figures are used in an entry, they are correct and FMLA approved time is not included. Nothing could be more detrimental to our purpose in making an entry than to include inaccurate figures and statements. The entry should be made prior to the counseling session. Don't wait until further problems develop.

SAMPLE ENTRY: I counseled with Jane concerning her unsatisfactory attendance. I advised her that she needed to improve her attendance and maintain it at a satisfactory level.

C. Warning

When it becomes apparent that the counseling step has been ineffective in encouraging an employee to improve his/her attendance to a satisfactory level or if the record becomes worse, the next step should be a warning. The purpose of the warning interview is to impress the employee with the growing seriousness of the situation and to inform him/her that continued poor attendance could result in serious disciplinary action. It should be pointed out to the employee that it appears to the Company that the previous informal discussions and counseling session have not resulted in the necessary improvement in his/her attendance. Advise the employee that the decision has been made that if immediate and substantial improvement to a satisfactory level is not shown; serious disciplinary action could be taken, including suspension or discharge.

Again, it could be appropriate to mention Employee Assistance to an employee as a means of assistance. It must be stressed; however, that referral to Employee Assistance is not a substitute for disciplinary action. The necessary action should be taken regardless of employee involvement with Employee Assistance.

When considering a warning entry, the supervisor should:

1. Observe caution when quoting a specific period of time by which improvement must be shown. In no case should an employee be told that disciplinary action will be taken on the next occasion of absence. The next occasion may be so far


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in the future or for a reason so unrelated that discipline would be unreasonable.

2. Ensure the employee was given sufficient time to demonstrate his/her willingness to improve his/her attendance.

3. Reference the employee's poor attendance within the stipulated period of time under review.

The warning entry should contain an emphatic statement to the effect that the employee has been "warned" about the possibility or probability of more severe disciplinary action if his/her attendance does not improve to a satisfactory level.

Union representation during the placement of an entry should be allowed, if the employee requests it.

SAMPLE ENTRY:

I warned Jane on (date) that her attendance continues to be unsatisfactory. She was advised that if immediate and substantial improvement was not made and maintained, more severe disciplinary action could be taken, including suspension or discharge.

D. Suspension (letter in lieu of)

This step is taken only after employees fail to demonstrate substantial improvement in response to previous counseling and warning steps. The purpose of a letter in lieu of suspension is to demonstrate to the employees that their job is in jeopardy because of poor attendance. See Exhibit B for a sample letter.

Before this step is taken, the total situation should be re-examined. The supervisor should:

1. Ensure that the employee has been adequately warned.

2. Compare the employee's record with other employees in the work group or office to be sure that he/she is not being treated unfairly in relation to others.

3. Determine if the employee had adequate time to show improvement since the warning.

4. Evaluate the occurrences of absence that prompted the decision to suspend the employee i.e., were the absences totally unrelated to any of his/her other absences?

Under some circumstances, the timing of a suspension can be an important factor. It might be better to delay this step to a more opportune time. If the employee has a chronic attendance problem, he/she will be absent again in a short period of time.


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In many organizations, the concurrence of the Director or higher levels of supervision is required before taking this step. As a general rule, the Human Resources ERM should also be consulted.

The interview and the personnel entry should emphasize the reason for the letter in lieu of suspension and an emphatic statement to the effect that if attendance continues to be unsatisfactory, discharge is a definite possibility.

SAMPLE ENTRY:

On (date) Jane was given a letter in lieu of suspension without pay for unsatisfactory attendance. Jane was further advised that unless improvement in her attendance to a satisfactory level is made and sustained over a reasonable period of time, further disciplinary action could be taken, including discharge.

It is usually inadvisable to issue a letter in lieu of suspension (See Exhibit B) to an employee during his/her first six months of service. If proper cause exists for such an action, it is probable that discharge would also be proper, inasmuch as such an employee is on what might be termed a "probationary" status during this period.

E. Discharge

This is the "last resort" step and should be taken only after it has been convincingly demonstrated that previous steps failed to bring about the required improvement. As a general rule, your Employee Relations Manager should be consulted before severe action is taken. Human Resources and the employee’s Director/General Manager should be consulted in all discharges. A discharge will ultimately be defended on the basis of whether or not the Company had "proper cause" to take such action.

SAMPLE ENTRY:

Effective (date) Jane was discharged due to her continued unsatisfactory attendance.

The attendance entries listed above are examples only. Personnel record entries should be customized to fit the situation.

9.06 EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has been designed to provide counseling services to employees, at all levels, in dealing with personal problems which are a concern to them and which may affect job performance. The goals of EAP are early identification and resolution of such problems before they jeopardize an employee's job and personal well-being. The Company believes that the personal lives of all employees are their own affair; however, if job performance or attendance is adversely


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affected, or has the potential of being affected, it is of benefit to the employee and the Company for the problem to be solved.

The Company has skilled administrators who possess both evaluation and counseling skills and are familiar with the wide range of community resources which are available to employees. Any employee may contact the appropriate administrator and arrange for an appointment or to seek a consultation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The interview provides an opportunity to discuss the nature of the problem and outline all alternatives for its solution.

EAP is available for management and non-management employees. Employees may contact EAP directly for assistance in dealing with family problems. The Employee Assistance Program is further designed to assist supervisors who feel that changes in an employee's job performance or attendance may be caused by personal problems.

Employee Assistance should be considered as a referral source when an employee shows the following early identifiers:

A. Declining job performance − Absenteeism − Frequent tardiness − Frequent and careless accidents − Missed deadlines, poor work quality − Poor concentration − Extended and/or frequent breaks

B. Deteriorated work relationship − Withdrawal behavior − Hostility − Dependency

C. Sudden unexplainable deterioration in the behavior of normally efficient and effective employees.

All contacts with EAP remain confidential and are not part of an employee's personnel record. Also, it is appropriate to state that the Company recognizes that alcohol, drug and emotional problems are treatable in many cases. This does not suggest that the use of alcohol or drugs will be condoned even though the employee is participating in Employee Assistance.

The role of the supervisor in utilizing Employee Assistance is especially important. Managers in most large organizations will encounter employees with personal problems. Supervisors sometimes find these work situations difficult to manage. The supervisor is not expected to solve these problems, but should be alert to their existence. The Employee Assistance staff is available to consult with supervisors and to assist in arranging for the services that are needed to resolve situations involving employees with personal problems. Managers needing workplace services should call the Benefits Health Options Health and Performance Solutions Team at 866-697-4327.


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In summary, the purpose of the Employee Assistance Program is to provide assistance to all Company employees in solving problems. Secondly, a primary function of Employee Assistance is that of consulting with mangers about employees that they may be responsible for supervising. The theme of the program embraces a rather simple idea: "An employee cannot give his best unless he is at his best."

9.07 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR HANDLING LENGTHY SICKNESS CASES

In situations where the employee's record reflects several lengthy sickness cases, the employee's ability to meet the Company’s attendance standards becomes questionable. In most instances, this question arises while the employee is still out on a lengthy sickness.

The AT&T IDSC is your primary resource regarding an employee’s disability benefits, workers’ compensation claims, job accommodation claims, return-to-work status and other important claim information. Questions should be directed to the IDSC Case Manager and/or your ERM. For more information, you may also go to AT&T OneStop Disability Information.

A. The AT&T IDSC will determine if it is appropriate to continue an employee on STD benefits until either the employee recovers, or STD benefits expire.

B. The AT&T IDSC will determine if the employee is able to return to work. If the employee is returned to work, then decisions should be made as to any appropriate discipline taking into consideration the totality of his/her past attendance record. It is also possible that the employee would be assigned permanent medical restrictions, entitling him/her to appropriate treatment under the Working Agreement. It is recommended that the philosophy and principles outlined in this document be given adequate consideration in making this decision.

C. Normally, if the employee is to be discharged, such action should only take place after the employee has returned to work. However, where circumstances warrant (i.e., misconduct), it is permissible to terminate while the employee is still out on a STD benefits case. STD benefit cases and workers’ compensation cases are not safe havens from discipline.

9.08 PROPER CAUSE

In determining whether "proper cause" for a discharge exists, the following are some of the factors that should be considered:

A. Has the Company made a reasonable attempt to help the employee meet attendance expectations that a fair-minded person might expect?

B. Has a progressive and systematic plan of corrective action been followed?

C. Are the employee’s attendance problems well documented by accurate attendance records and personnel record entries?

http://ebiz.sbc.com/hronestop/index.cfm?fuseaction=Display&type=TandADisabInformation


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D. In cases involving extended illness, have medical advice, prognosis and evaluation been secured?

The appropriate levels of management and the Employee Relations Managers should be consulted regarding the contemplated action, including the date of dismissal.

10. FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993 10.01 GENERAL

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, leave during a 12-month period for certain specified reasons, including the following:

A. Birth, adoption, or placement of a child

The entitlement to leave for the birth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care expires twelve months from the date of birth or placement. Also, if an employee decides to take FMLA, the twelve workweeks of leave must be taken and concluded within twelve months from the date of birth or placement.

B. Care of a seriously ill spouse, child, or parent

The Federal Regulations define spouse as a husband or wife as defined by or recognized under the state law for the purposes of marriage in the state where the employee resides, including common law marriage in states where it is recognized. However, consistent with other AT&T policies “spouse” for purposes of FMLA and state family and medical leave laws will also include Legally Recognized Partners (LRP) regardless of the state in which the employee resides. This practice is consistent with other AT&T policies that embrace and celebrate diversity of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation in our workforce. Definitions of Legally recognized Partner are provided below:

1. Is a Registered Domestic partner (RDP) – any individual with whom an employee has entered into a domestic partnership that has been registered with a governmental body pursuant to a state or local law authorizing such a registration; or

2. Has entered into a different-gender or same-gender relationship with an

employee pursuant to and in accordance with state or local law, such as marriage, civil union or other legally recognized arrangement that provides similar legal benefits, protections and responsibilities under state law to those afforded to a lawful spouse.

FMLA leave will be extended to LRP’s (and RDP’s) even if the location where the couple is legally recognized is not the same state, county or municipality where they work or live.


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FMLA Operations will retain the right to request a signed and notarized form or letter, or other official documentation (e.g. marriage certificate) verifying that a marriage, union, or partnership is legally recognized by a state, county or municipality.

C. Employee's own serious health condition.

This must be a serious health condition that has been certified by a health care provider that makes an employee unable to perform his/her job, including incapacity due to pregnancy and prenatal medical care.

For more information, please refer to the FMLA Web Site at FMLA Time and Attendance Home.

11. CONCLUSION

The emphasis of this Attendance Program is on motivating employees to establish and maintain a good attendance record, a most important job requirement.

To ensure good attendance, all levels of supervision in all departments must display, on a continuing basis, a keen interest in reducing the rate of absenteeism of all employees.

Human Resources and Labor Relations will, upon request, provide counsel and assistance relative to attendance problems, appropriate steps to be taken, etc.




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Exhibit A RF-3119

(4-90) Front

Employee Absence/Tardy Record

Employee’s Name Doe, Jill

NCS Date 07-03-73

Date of Absence

Day of Week

Code

Reason for Absence or Tardy

Tardy Date

No. of Min.

03-05-14

Wed

ILLF

ILL

03-06-14

Thur

ILLF

ILL

04-16-14

Wed

MUNH

Daughter ill (non-FMLA)

04-17-14

Thur

MUNH

Daughter ill (non-FMLA)

05-08-14

Thur

ILLP

ILL 1/2 day

05-09-14

Fri

DISU

Benefits 13 1/2 days


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Exhibit B

SAMPLE

“IN LIEU OF SUSPENSION” LETTER

(DATE) EMPLOYEE NAME EMPLOYEE’S WORK ADDRESS Dear Mr./Ms. Employee: This letter is being issued to you in lieu of suspension resulting from your unsatisfactory level of attendance. As you will recall, I have counseled with you and warned you that continued unsatisfactory attendance could lead to discharge from the Company’s employ. Normally, if an employee’s attendance does not improve after such counseling and warning, a suspension without pay is the next step before discharge in our four-step disciplinary process. [Company Name] is issuing this letter “in lieu of suspension” to you rather than an actual suspension without pay. However, unless improvement to a satisfactory level is made and sustained over a reasonable period of time, your employment with the Company will be terminated. I sincerely hope that you will be able to fulfill your attendance obligation to the Company, and that termination will not become necessary. Sincerely, (Immediate Supervisor) Concurred In: ________________________________________ (Department Director or Designee)


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Exhibit C CODE CONVERSION TABLE

MTR eLink Description

IB DISD Disability - Denied (Reported by AT&T IDSC) IB, MT, NMT DISU Disability - Uncertified (Reported by Supervisor) IB DPØ1 Partial Disability 100% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) IB DPØ4 Partial Disability 50% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) IB DTØ1 Total Disability 100% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) IB DTØ4 Total Disability 50% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) DP/PD EPØ1 EWP/PDO Paid (Excused Workday/Personal Day) DP3 EPØ3 EWP/PDO Paid (Excused Workday/Personal Day) Not Scheduled 3 weeks in

Advance DP/PD EPDD EWP/PDO Paid (Excused Workday/Personal Day) Substitution Denied

Disability D EUØ1 Excused Workday Unpaid (EWN) DP*, PD* FEP1 FMLA Excused Workday Paid (EWP) (Substitution for FMLA approved

absence) D3*, DP3* FEP3 FMLA Excused Workday Paid (EWP) Not Scheduled 3 weeks in Advance

(Substitution for FMLA approved absence) HO*/OH* FFH1 FMLA DH/FH/PH (Designated Holiday/Floating Holiday/Personal Holiday)

(Substitution for FMLA approved absence) HO* FFH2 FMLA DH/FH/PH (Designated Holiday/Floating Holiday/Personal Holiday) in

a Holiday Week (Substitution for FMLA approved absence) H3*/OH3* FFH3 FMLA DH/FH/PH (Designated Holiday/Floating Holiday/Personal Holiday)

Not Scheduled 3 weeks in Advance (Substitution for FMLA approved absence)

FIDC Disability Grant – Contractual FMLA approved illness (eLink generated if the employee’s illness entitlement has been depleted or will deplete and subsequent STD is approved)

IRP*, IP*, IA* FILF FMLA Illness – Full Day Paid (1st 7 consecutive calendar days of absence extending into FMLA approved disability.

IRP*, IP*, IA*, IAD*

FILP FMLA Illness – Partial Day/Session Paid

IR*, I*, IA*, IAD* FILU FMLA Illness Full or Partial Day Unpaid IB FPØ1 FMLA Partial Disability 100% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) IB FPØ4 FMLA Partial Disability 50% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) IB FTØ1 FMLA Total Disability 100% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) IB FTØ4 FMLA Total Disability 50% Payment (Reported by AT&T IDSC) I* FUIL FMLA Unpaid Illness (FMLA approved Illness >7 days/no STD filed) F*, E*, H*, M* FUPA FMLA Unpaid Absence VP* FVAC FMLA Vacation (Substitution for FMLA-approved absence)


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VP* FVDD FMLA Vacation (Substitution for Denied Disability) VP* FVIL FMLA Vacation (Substitution for FMLA-approved unpaid illness) HO/HOL HOL2 DH/FH/PH (Designated Holiday/Floating Holiday/Personal Holiday) in a

Holiday Week HO/HOL HOL3 DH/FH/PH (Designated Holiday/Floating Holiday/Personal Holiday) Not

Scheduled 3 weeks in Advance HO/HOL HOLD DH/FH/PH ((Designated Holiday/Floating Holiday/Personal Holiday) ILDC Disability Grant – Contractual (eLink generated if the employee’s illness

entitlement has been depleted or will deplete and subsequent STD is approved)

IRP, IP, IA ILLF Illness – Full Day Paid (1st 7 days doesn’t extend into STD) IRP, IP, IAD ILLP Illness – Partial Day/Session Paid IR, I, IA, IAD ILLU Illness – Full or Partial Day Unpaid E LOAD Departmental Leave of Absence Unpaid F*, E* LOAF FMLA Leave of Absence Unpaid (for all FMLA leaves of absence) ML MMIE Military Emergency (employee is called for emergency duty) ML MMIS Military Service (employee has training duty) MP MPE0 Misc. Absence Paid (Time doesn’t count toward daily OT) MP MPET Misc. Absence Paid (Company directed absences that counts as work time

under FLSA) HP MPN0 Misc. Absence Paid (Time doesn’t count toward daily OT) TY MTDY Tardy – Paid (Up to 14 minutes) ML, M MUE0 Misc. Absence Unpaid (Time doesn’t count toward daily OT) N, NR MUN0 Misc. Absence Unpaid (No Report) H, F MUNH Misc. Absence Unpaid (First 7 days) F MUNL Miscellaneous Absence – Unpaid (Greater than 7 days for personal reasons

or illness not covered under the benefit plan) S MWSX Work Stoppage UAP/UP MXUP Union – Paid UA/UU MXUU Union – Unpaid E SURP Company Initiated Surplus Time K SUSP Unpaid Suspension VP VAC1 Vacation VP VSDD Vacation Substitution Denied Disability

attendance & punctuality guideline€¦ · principles in this practice should be applied to...

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