Employee absences can disrupt workflows, diminish productivity, and impact team morale. However, employers must provide accommodations and may have attendance management programs or policies (“AMPs”) where appropriate. In this instalment of Lancaster’s Workplace Essentials webinar series, experts will examine recent caselaw and key principles relating to employee absenteeism. Specifically, panelists will address:

• What are best practices for employers and unions in discussing absenteeism with employees?
• What duties do employers have to inquire, and what duties do employees have to disclose, whether employee absenteeism is related to a protected ground such as a disability or family status obligation?
• What type of medical information can employers request where an employee’s absenteeism is health-related? At what frequency can employers request this information?
• Do employers have a duty to accommodate where the employee identifies the reason for absenteeism as stress or burnout?
• What are key considerations when drafting an AMP?
• How can unions best assist employees subject to monitoring under an AMP?
• What is “presenteeism”? How can unions and employers work to set appropriate attendance requirements that discourage presenteeism?
• At what point can an employer demonstrate that undue hardship has resulted from accommodating an employee who is frequently absent? Are there any restrictions on dismissing employees for innocent absenteeism?