Employee Relations Processes: Abandonment of Position (Job Abandonment) – Staff and Out-of-Unit Administration Employees

Revised April 4, 2008

Exhibits / Forms

Sample Job Abandonment Notification

I. POLICY

A Staff or out-of-unit Administration employee who is absent without authorization for three or more consecutive workdays may be considered 
to have abandoned his/her position.  Refer to the United Faculty of Florida (UFF) Collective Bargaining Agreement for information regarding job 
abandonment for in-unit Administration employees.

II. PROCEDURE

After the third consecutive workday an employee is absent from work and fails to obtain approval for his/her absence, the supervisor should 
consult with Human Resources (HR)/Employee Relations to determine if the circumstances are such that job abandonment appears evident.  
If so, a notification of job abandonment is signed by the dean/director or designee and sent by certified mail/return receipt requested to the 
employee at his/her last known address.  (Refer to Sample Job Abandonment Notification.)

The notification must include:  1) a termination date (typically the employee’s third workday of unapproved absence at the close of business 
or the end of the employee’s work shift), 2) notice that the employee may request in writing reconsideration of the job abandonment action within 
seven calendar days after the certified mail postmark date, and 3) for Staff employees with permanent status and out-of-unit Administration 
employees, notice of the employee's right to grieve through the University grievance procedure or collective bargaining agreement grievance 
procedure, if applicable.

An appointment status form must be submitted to HR/Employment Center to process the termination action, accompanied by a copy of:  
1) the signed job abandonment notification, 2) verification of the certified mail postmark date, and 3) the certified mail return receipt.   
A copy of the signed notification must also be submitted to HR/Employee Relations.