Employee on Leave After Just Two Days: How Should I Handle This Situation?

Hi, I hired an employee in the middle of September. She told me that her reason for changing jobs was due to excessive stress in her previous job, affecting her health. She underwent treatment and is now in good health, taking routine vitamin medication.

She is under a one-year bond with us. However, she only worked for 2 days before going on leave. Sometimes she answers calls, sometimes not. Despite committing to submitting a medical certificate, she has failed to do so. Additionally, she has promised to return to work but fails to provide any intimation. When we try to contact her, there is either no response or someone else answers the call without giving a definitive reply.

Please advise on how to proceed.

Regards,
Deepali

She fits into the profile, and we even planned all the things, but then we suffered a loss.

Regards,
Deepali

Dear Deepali, I would suggest you wait for 15 more days, and after that, send her a show cause notice by registered post asking her for the reasons behind her absence. In the letter, provide her with 24 hours to reply and 48 hours to rejoin. Otherwise, she can choose to resign and face all the terms and conditions mentioned in the appointment letter. Be strict in this matter and do not entertain any false excuses from her.

Best of luck!
Garima Singhwal

I sent her a show-cause notice through mail. She replied with medical proofs, but all the documents are from August, and we hired her in September.

Regards,
Deepali

Deepali, tell her clearly about the challenges the organization is facing due to her absenteeism. Provide her with a limited time frame to respond and rejoin. If you do not set a specific time frame, all communication will be vague and result in nothing.

Hope to hear something positive from your side soon.

Regards,
Garima Singhwal

Review of August Documents

Check the documents from August to see if they mention that she has prolonged conditions of disease or sickness. It might be mentioned there. If not, then reply back that these documents are backdated and are null and void if a new document is not furnished. Also, reiterate to her about the clause in the appointment letter and the repercussions she may face if no satisfactory reply is received within 2 days.

Whatever the reason the employee has, they need to inform the employer about it. As per the above information, it clearly indicates her negligence. As per your policies, you can send a termination letter to her for the uninformed absence. In the meantime, try to hire another candidate to replace her to avoid problems.

Thanks & Regards,
Vani

I checked all the documents; nothing serious is mentioned. I talked to our company lawyer as well. She mentioned that legally, the certificates should be from a government hospital. The documents that the employee submitted are from private hospitals.

Regards,
Deepali

Hi Vani, I hired a new employee to take her place; he is joining within a week. I hope things go fine with the project.

Regards,
Deepali

Hi Deepali, For next time, I would suggest you frame a policy and get it documented. For example, send 3 notices spread over a span of 6 months. If an absconder fails to respond to these notices, remove their name from the company's records. Good luck with the new joiner.

Regards, Aman Dudeja
Associate Manager - HR
Vedanta Resources

Going by the responses, it looks like you have already hired another person who should handle your immediate situation. However, there could be two lessons for you in the whole experience.

1. Please don't waste your time by going the legal route—sending her notices, etc.—unless your company has money to blow on lawyer fees for such cases and/or unless this employee took any company documents and vanished. Put your valuable time into something else that's more worthwhile.

2. Your recruitment process may need some review. Also, please don't rule out the possibility that she could have noticed something in the company's way of working in the two days she came—that put her off. Just try to talk to those she interacted with in the two days—you could get some idea based on her casual comments. Going by the look of it, I feel it's more of an 'attitude issue' than a competency issue. The HR rounds in the interview process are supposed to catch such cases. Have a relook into it, and I am sure you will figure out a way to avoid any repeats in the future.

Regards,
TS