Employees of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (“university”) who are unavailable to work during their regularly scheduled working hours will be considered absent by the university, regardless of circumstance or excuse. An absence may be further identified as an approved leave, an excused absence, or an unexcused absence.
Among the approved paid leaves provided by the university are the following: vacation, holiday, sick (personal or family), funeral, administrative, civic duty, and military leave of absence. In addition, the university may grant a leave of absence with pay to an employee who is a foster parent of a child under the conservatorship of the Department of Human Services (“Department”), in order for the employee to attend Department meetings or school conferences regarding the child. For more information on leaves, refer to HOOP Policies 2.39 Paid Leave Eligibility and 2.40 Unpaid Leave Eligibility.
All excused and unexcused absences (as opposed to approved leaves) will be without pay. An excused absence without pay may be granted for such reasons as illness or death in the family for which the employee does not qualify for funeral or sick leave, or personal business when planned and requested in advance.
An unexcused absence without pay will be charged if an employee is unable to provide an acceptable reason for an absence or fails to notify the supervisor of the absence. Any absence of more than three consecutive scheduled days or shifts without proper notification of the immediate supervisor will be considered as job abandonment and voluntary termination of employment.
This policy applies to all classified employees.
For questions regarding this policy, contact Human Resources – Employee Relations.
Employees shall notify or cause their immediate supervisor to be notified promptly if they are unable to report for work at their regularly scheduled time. Employees arriving for work after their regularly scheduled starting time shall be considered tardy. With prior approval of the supervisor, an employee may use accrued vacation time rather than be docked for an excused absence. Supervisors are not obligated to grant vacation leave in lieu of leave without pay. A classified employee who requests an inordinate number of absences, is absent without an acceptable reason, and/or is excessively tardy and/or absent may be disciplined under HOOP Policy 5.13 Disciplinary Actions.
Updated 08/05, 10/08