No Call No Show Policy Template

A no call no show policy tells employees exactly how to report an absence, and what happens if they miss a shift without a word. This free no-call, no-show policy template is written for US small businesses that run on shifts. It defines a no-call, no-show, sets the call-in rule, and gives steps for a first, second and third missed shift, plus a job abandonment clause. It also lists the absences you must check before acting. A warning letter for a missed shift completes the set.

What you get

A seven-page PDF and a Word file you can edit, sized for US Letter paper:

• Pages 1–2: the policy, with highlighted fill-ins for your call-in rule, rolling period and steps, and an employee acknowledgment.
• Page 3: a warning letter to give after a no-call, no-show, with space for the employee’s comments and signatures.
• Pages 4–6: all three pages completed for a fictional bakery, so you can see how the fill-ins work.
• Page 7: notes on the federal and state rules to check before you act, with links to the sources.

The policy works on its own or alongside our attendance policy, which uses the same definition and the same job abandonment choice.

What a good no-call, no-show policy includes

• A clear definition. Missing a shift, or starting very late, without contacting you by a set deadline.
• One way to report. Who to contact, how, and how far ahead. A message to a coworker doesn’t count.
• What you’ll do on the day. Calling and texting, then an emergency contact if you still can’t reach them. A silent employee may be in the hospital.
• Steps that build. A written warning, then a final warning, then possible termination within a rolling period.
• A job abandonment rule. How many shifts in a row with no contact you’ll treat as a resignation.
• Protected absences. Leave you must check for before taking any step.
• An acknowledgment. A signature showing the employee received the rules.

How to handle a no-call, no-show

1. When the shift starts and the employee hasn’t called, call and text them. Note the times.
2. If you can’t reach them by the end of the shift, try their emergency contact.
3. When they return, meet in private and ask what happened. Listen before you decide anything.
4. Check whether the absence may be protected: their own or a family member’s health, a disability, pregnancy, sick leave under your state’s law, jury duty or military service.
5. If it isn’t protected, and the policy applies, fill in the warning letter with the facts and the step.
6. Give the employee a copy, let them comment, ask them to sign for receipt and file the original.
7. If the employee simply stops coming in, follow the job abandonment clause. Try to reach them by phone and in writing first, and keep a note of each attempt.

Completed example

The example is a fictional bakery in Spokane, Washington. The owner sets a two-hour call-in rule, a 12-month rolling period and three missed shifts in a row as job abandonment. A baker’s assistant misses a 5:00 a.m. Saturday shift because his phone died overnight. The owner called twice and texted, and he called back that afternoon. At the Monday meeting nothing suggests a protected reason, so he gets a written warning. The letter still gives him a week to raise one. He adds a short comment, and both sign.

No-call, no-show termination policy

People search for a “no call no show termination policy” because they want to know when they can let someone go. In most cases the answer is in your own policy, so it needs to be clear. The template gives you two separate tools. The first is steps for repeat no-call, no-shows within a rolling period, ending with possible termination after the third. The second is a job abandonment clause for an employee who stops coming in altogether. Fill in numbers you’ll actually use, and keep them the same as in any attendance policy you have.

Ending employment this way still ends employment. State final-pay deadlines apply, and a short termination letter confirms the date and the practical details.

Protected absences: check before you act

A no-call, no-show can turn out to be protected leave. Under the FMLA, which covers private employers with 50 or more employees (DOL), an employee who needs unforeseeable leave must give notice as soon as practicable and generally follow your usual call-in rules. The exception is unusual circumstances: someone who needs emergency medical treatment doesn’t have to call in until they are stable and able to (29 CFR 825.303). You also can’t count FMLA leave under a no-fault attendance policy (29 CFR 825.220).

Employers with 15 or more employees may have to give leave as a reasonable accommodation for a disability, and can’t penalize an employee for using it (EEOC). The same goes for pregnancy-related limitations under the PWFA (EEOC). Some states protect paid sick leave too. For example, Washington bars counting paid sick leave as an absence that can lead to discipline (RCW 49.46.210). Federal law also protects federal jurors (28 U.S.C. 1875) and service members (38 U.S.C. 4311).

When to get advice

Get advice before you discipline or dismiss someone if the absence may be linked to their health, a disability, pregnancy, a family member’s illness, jury duty or military service. Do the same if they’ve recently complained, asked for leave or asked for an accommodation.

Not sure whether a missed shift is protected in your state? hrsupport.io gives HR answers for your state, with the law behind every answer.