Free Employee Attendance Policy Template (2026)
A 4-page attendance policy template for US small businesses. Covers tardiness, no-call/no-show, point system, FMLA, paid sick leave (multi-state), and progressive discipline. Editable in Word.
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What's inside
Schedule expectations
- Standard work hours
- Clock-in / clock-out procedure
- Grace period (if any)
- Tardiness thresholds
- Lunch break policy
Absences
- How to report absence (call by 8am, etc.)
- No-call / no-show consequences
- Doctor's note requirement (when)
- Bereavement leave
- Jury duty / civic leave
Point system
- Tardy = 0.5 points
- Absent (with notice) = 1 point
- No-call/no-show = 3 points
- Rolling 6-month window
- Verbal → Written → Final → Termination at 8 points
Protected leave
- FMLA eligibility + notice
- Paid sick leave (state-specific)
- ADA reasonable accommodations
- Pregnancy + parental leave
- Military leave (USERRA)
Progressive discipline
- Verbal warning
- Written warning
- Final written warning
- Suspension or termination
- Appeals process
Multi-state compliance
- CA, NY, NJ, MA sick leave call-outs
- Local ordinances mentioned
- At-will employment language
- Anti-retaliation clause
Beyond the template
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Is a point system legal?
Yes, but with care. Points cannot accumulate for FMLA leave, paid sick leave (in states requiring it), jury duty, military leave, or other protected absences. The template flags these exclusions.
How many points should = termination?
Industry standard is 8–12 points over a 6–12 month rolling window. Lower thresholds increase turnover; higher thresholds reduce policy effectiveness. The template uses 8 points over 6 months as a starting point.
Do I need different policies for different states?
Yes. California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and many local ordinances require paid sick leave that cannot count against employees. The template includes a state-by-state appendix.
How do I track attendance points fairly?
Manually: a spreadsheet with each employee's rolling 6-month tally. Automatically: MyCo's attendance module auto-tracks points, flags employees approaching thresholds, and provides a paper trail for HR.
Can I terminate an at-will employee on the first no-call/no-show?
Legally, in most states yes — at-will employment allows termination without notice for any non-discriminatory reason. But a documented policy and progressive discipline reduces wrongful termination claims and is HR best practice.