Template · Contact centre operations
Attendance points policy
In short
An attendance point system policy assigns a set number of points to each absence, late arrival, early departure and no-call no-show, rolls points off after a fixed period, and ties discipline to point totals. This template gives a ready-to-adapt policy for contact centers, warehouses and other shift-based teams, with protected leave excluded.
Attendance Points Policy template
Attendance Points Policy
Replace bracketed items with your own values and have employment counsel review the policy against the federal, state and local leave laws that apply to each of your locations before rollout.
1. Purpose and scope
[Company Name] schedules staff to meet customer demand, and every unplanned absence shifts work to coworkers and affects service. This policy explains how unplanned attendance is tracked and what happens when it becomes a problem. It applies to all non-exempt hourly employees at [Site / All sites], including employees in training and nesting. Exempt employees and employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement follow [the applicable policy or agreement].
2. How to report an absence or late arrival
Report any absence or expected late arrival at least [2] hours before your scheduled start by [calling the attendance line at (Phone) / using the scheduling app / messaging your supervisor]. Text messages to coworkers do not count. Give your name, employee ID, the shift affected and, if you expect to return late, your expected arrival time. If you cannot report yourself because of an emergency, a family member may report for you.
3. Points schedule
Tardy (clocking in 1 to [59] minutes after scheduled start, or returning late from a meal break): [0.5] point Leaving early (leaving more than [1] hour before scheduled end without approval): [0.5] point Absence, reported on time (each scheduled shift missed): [1] point Consecutive absence days for the same illness or reason, reported each day: counted as [1] occurrence, up to [3] days Absence reported late (less than [2] hours before shift): [1.5] points No-call no-show (absent without reporting before the end of the scheduled shift): [3] points Two consecutive scheduled shifts of no-call no-show: treated as voluntary resignation (job abandonment)
4. Absences that do not receive points
The following are never counted under this policy: approved paid time off or vacation; leave protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act or a state family or medical leave law; time off approved as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act or state law; paid sick leave protected under state or local law; work-related injury or illness covered by workers' compensation; jury duty, witness duty and voting time where protected; military leave under USERRA; bereavement leave under [Company Name] policy; domestic violence, crime victim or other leave protected by state or local law; absences caused by company-cancelled shifts or a site closure; and any time off approved in advance by your manager. If you believe an absence qualifies for any of these, tell HR. Points will be removed once the leave is confirmed.
5. Rolling period
Each point stays on your record for [12] rolling months from the date it was given and then drops off automatically. [Optional: Employees with [90] consecutive days of perfect attendance have [1] point removed.]
6. Discipline thresholds
[4] points: documented verbal warning [6] points: written warning [8] points: final written warning [10] points: termination of employment Employees in their first [90] days, including training: [3] points result in a final written warning and [5] points in termination. Supervisors will notify you in writing each time you reach a threshold and will tell you your current total on request.
7. Records and questions
Attendance is recorded from the timekeeping system. You can view your point total in [system] or ask your supervisor. If you think a point was recorded in error, raise it with your supervisor or HR within [14] days. [Company Name] will not retaliate against anyone for using protected leave, requesting an accommodation or questioning an attendance record.
8. Acknowledgement
I have received and read the Attendance Points Policy and understand how points are given, how they expire and what happens at each threshold.
Employee name: ____________________ Employee signature: ____________________ Date: __________ Supervisor signature: ____________________ Date: __________
How to use this template
- Decide your point values and thresholds using recent attendance data, so the termination threshold catches a small share of employees rather than half the floor.
- List every protected absence that applies in each of your states and cities, and have counsel review the exclusions section before rollout.
- Set up the timekeeping or scheduling system to assign points automatically and to show employees their running total.
- Train supervisors on how to code protected leave and accommodations before any points are applied.
- Announce the policy at least two weeks before it takes effect, collect signed acknowledgements, and start everyone at zero.
- Review point totals and exclusions monthly with HR, and audit a sample of terminations under the policy each quarter.
Why shift-based employers use points
A points policy replaces supervisor judgment with a published scale. In a 300-seat contact center with 25 supervisors, that consistency is the main benefit: two agents with the same absences get the same outcome, which is fairer and much easier to defend. It is also simple for employees to understand, which is not true of most discretionary policies. The idea is explained in more detail in our glossary entry on the attendance point system.
The trade-off is rigidity. A no-fault system does not ask why someone was absent, and that is exactly where legal risk comes from. If you prefer a policy built on supervisor review, start from the attendance policy template instead.
Setting point values and thresholds
Most contact centers use 0.5 for tardies and early departures, 1 for a reported absence and 3 for a no-call no-show. Termination thresholds of 8 to 12 points over a rolling 12 months are common.
Test your numbers against real data before publishing them. Pull last year's attendance for the site and score it under the draft policy. If 30% of agents would have hit termination, the thresholds are too tight for your workforce and you will lose good performers along with chronic absentees. If nobody would have reached a written warning, the policy will not change behavior. A useful target is that roughly 5% or less of employees reach a final warning in a year.
Counting multi-day absences for the same reason as one occurrence matters more than people expect. Without it, a three-day flu costs 3 points and pushes people to come in sick.
Legal and compliance notes
This is the area where points policies get employers into trouble, and the rules vary by state and city, so treat this as general information.
- FMLA. Points cannot be assigned for FMLA-protected absences, including intermittent leave. The FMLA regulations say FMLA leave cannot be counted under no-fault attendance policies.
- ADA and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The EEOC has brought cases against rigid no-fault policies that refused to consider leave or schedule changes as accommodations. Build in a route for employees to ask, and have HR, not the supervisor, decide.
- Paid sick leave laws. Many states and cities with paid sick leave laws, among them California, New York and Illinois, prohibit counting protected sick time as an occurrence that can lead to discipline. If your timekeeping system gives a point automatically, it needs to remove it when sick time is applied. Our entry on paid sick leave covers the basics.
- Predictive scheduling laws. Some cities restrict how schedule changes are handled, which can affect how you count late notice of a shift change.
Keep the attendance records with the reason codes. When a termination is challenged, the question will be whether a protected absence was counted.
Making it work on the floor
Automate the counting. Supervisors who track points in spreadsheets miss roll-offs and apply exclusions inconsistently. A time and attendance tool that applies points from the punch data and shows employees their balance removes most disputes.
Warn early and in writing. Use a standard attendance warning letter at each threshold so the employee knows their total and what comes next. Many terminations are overturned internally because the employee was never told they were close.
Watch new-hire classes separately. Training classes usually run a tighter threshold, and that is reasonable, but check whether one trainer's class consistently loses more people to points than others. That usually points to a schedule or expectations problem rather than a group of unreliable hires.
Common mistakes
- Counting protected leave because the code was entered after the point was applied, and nobody went back.
- Thresholds so tight that the policy drives attrition in a labor market where agents can walk across the street.
- Different supervisors excusing different absences, which defeats the whole purpose of a points system.
- No roll-off, so long-tenured employees carry points from years ago.
- Treating a single no-call no-show as job abandonment. Most employers set it at two or three consecutive shifts and attempt to reach the employee first.
Frequently asked questions
How does an attendance point system work?
Each type of attendance event earns a set number of points, for example 0.5 for a tardy, 1 for an absence and 3 for a no-call no-show. Points expire after a rolling period, often 12 months. When an employee's total reaches published thresholds, they receive a verbal warning, written warning, final warning and then termination.
What is an attendance occurrence policy?
An occurrence policy counts each attendance incident as an occurrence rather than counting hours or days. Many occurrence policies treat consecutive days off for the same reason as a single occurrence. A points policy is a variant that weights occurrences differently, so a no-call no-show counts more than a tardy.
Are points-based attendance policies legal?
Yes in general, but they must exclude absences protected by law, such as FMLA leave, ADA accommodations, protected paid sick leave, jury duty, military leave and workers' compensation absences. Rules vary by state and city, so have counsel review the exclusions for each location.
How many points before termination in a call center attendance policy?
Common thresholds are 8 to 12 points in a rolling 12 months for tenured agents, with a lower threshold during training and the first 90 days. Test thresholds against last year's data before setting them.
Can I give points for sick days?
Not for sick time protected by a state or local paid sick leave law, and not for FMLA-qualifying illness. In places without such laws, you can count unprotected sick days, but many employers still treat multi-day illness as one occurrence to avoid encouraging sick employees to work.
Should employees be able to earn points back?
Many employers remove one point after 60 or 90 days of perfect attendance. It gives employees a reason to recover and tends to reduce terminations of otherwise solid performers, though it adds a little complexity to tracking.