What is job abandonment and why does it happen?
Job abandonment is when an employee leaves their position, usually suddenly. It can happen for many reasons, including:
- Inability to fulfill the requirements for a position
- Employee has received a better offer elsewhere
- Employee is embarrassed after an issue at work
- Lack of work wellbeing
- Fear of resigning in person
- Ignorance about company policies
Some industries have higher rates of job abandonment than others, with the U.S. government reporting high quit rates in:
- Trade, transportation and utilities
- Leisure and hospitality
- Accommodation and food services
Industries with a high percentage of casual or shift workers tend to see greater rates of abandonment, but this job abandonment can affect any employment type.
Signs like withdrawal, a lack of motivation or “quiet quitting” could eventually lead to job abandonment.
How job abandonment is different from other absences
Being able to tell the difference between job abandonment and other forms of absence can be useful. This is because different forms of absence might require different prevention strategies to prevent them from occurring:
No-shows vs. job abandonment
If a person fails to show up to a scheduled shift without giving notice, this is classed as a no-call, no-show. Occasional no-call, no-shows can be dealt with under your company’s disciplinary policy.
Several consecutive no-call, no-shows may be a cause for concern and may trigger an investigation under your company’s job abandonment policy, especially if an employee does not come to work for a certain period of time.
Not all no-shows are job abandonment
While no call, no shows put employers in a difficult position, try not to assume the worst if an employee fails to show up for multiple scheduled shifts. There are valid, non-abandonment reasons why this might happen, such as accidents, emergencies or family crises.
Rather than treating all no-call, no-shows as potential job abandonment, take some time to investigate. Attempt to contact the employee by call, text, email or other methods before sending them a termination of employment letter.
If you do reach the stage of having to send a letter terminating the person’s employment and you would be willing to reconsider your decision, include a note asking them to contact you if there are mitigating circumstances, such as a medical emergency.
Job abandonment vs. quiet quitting
There are also subtle differences between job abandonment and quiet quitting. As we found in our guide to the Great Resignation, quiet quitting means only doing the minimum of what a job requires. While this doesn’t always have to involve absences, like with job abandonment, it can demonstrate a lack of employee engagement and enthusiasm for the role.
Best practices to prevent job abandonment
Consider defining job abandonment and job abandonment policies in your employee handbook. You may find it helpful to include guidelines on contacting supervisors and information about investigation and disciplinary actions. Further practices are:
Creating a job abandonment policy
In your policy, first outline the steps you will take to try to reach someone who is missing from work for several consecutive days and the point at which the employee will be treated as eligible for termination. It is often common practice for employers to wait a certain number of days before terminating an employee who does not show up to work.
The policy may also detail any penalties for employees who quit without notice. If the employee has been given benefits that are conditional on fulfilling a contract, you might specify that leaving early or without notice could result in the cost of these being subtracted from the final paycheck.
For example, you might state that employees who have not fully repaid their tuition reimbursement may need to pay this back early. Or, you might require that visa sponsorship costs be paid back if an employee quits shortly after joining the company.
Improving your onboarding process
Help reduce the risk of new hires abandoning their jobs by making onboarding as smooth as possible. If you encourage a company culture that is welcoming and psychologically safe, you might improve morale and retention.
Conducting regular reviews
Employees may leave positions without notice because they’re unhappy in the job or aren’t able to ask for help.
Conducting regular performance reviews can help identify problems before an employee considers abandoning their role. It can give people leaders a chance to review areas where employees might be struggling.
This type of regular communication also gives your employees a chance to discuss any issues they might have and request opportunities for training or progression if they’re performing well.
Offering leave options
Offering clear leave options helps reduce job abandonment by giving employees a structured way to step away when they’re overwhelmed, facing personal issues or need time off unexpectedly. When workers know they can request sick, personal, or emergency leave without penalty, they’re less likely to simply stop showing up.
Strong leave policies might also build trust, improve communication and help managers address issues early to potentially prevent small problems from turning into no-call, no-shows.
Additionally, consider creating a phased return to work policy to help ease employees’ return to work during and after their leave of absence to help encourage reintegration.
Conducting exit interviews
If an employee resigns formally, take the opportunity to conduct an exit interview. This could provide you with useful information about how employees view the company, why they choose to leave and how you could improve retention for current and future employees.
Offering flexible scheduling
Flexible scheduling can help reduce job abandonment by giving employees more control over when they work, which helps lower stress and scheduling conflicts. When workers can adjust shifts around childcare, health needs, school or transportation issues, they’re less likely to resort to no call, no shows.
Flexibility can also strengthen engagement and loyalty, encourage open communication about conflicts and help managers resolve issues before they lead to job abandonment.
Job abandonment poses challenges but can be mitigated with proactive strategies. Implementing clear policies, improving onboarding, conducting regular reviews and offering flexible scheduling and leave options may foster engagement and retention.
