Absconding

Absconding is a term used to define a situation where an employee does not report to work for several days in a row without proper communication or approval from the HR department. This would mean that the employer is not in any way authorized to be absent from work on those days, creating a task gap in the organization. 

There are different reasons an employee can abscond from work. Some of them could be:

• Mental stress
• Dissatisfaction with jobs 
• A toxic work environment or an unhealthy relationship between colleagues and managers
• Health-related issues
• Unfulfilled promises during recruitment
• Outright impulsive decisions. 

However, these reasons do not remove the fact that absconding from work is greatly frowned upon in every organization. 

Handling an issue of absconding differs for organizations. Also, scenarios and employees are not exactly the same, and as such, the occurrence of absconding can be treated differently. However, the general way to handle a case of absconding is to begin by sending a message (which could be a letter via mail, the employee’s home address, etc) to the employee and letting him know that his continued absence will eventually lead to a termination of his contract with the company. In most cases, employees that abscond from their jobs do not end up returning to the organization. But, companies always ensure to take this step to avoid any legal consequences in the future. 

There are simple steps organizations can take to ensure that employers do not abscond from work. They are:

• Developing strong and well-defined policies that explain the consequences of absconding.
• Creating a healthy work environment and work culture that fosters openness and communication.
• Keeping to promises made to employees and avoiding making unrealistic promises.
• Generally implementing strategic employee retention processes.  

In situations where the reason for absconding could be impulsive decisions or difficult challenges with the employee, HR Managers are always encouraged to accept such an employee back and help him get on his feet.