Opinion ID: 6330219
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Hospital’s Attendance Policy

Text: Under its attendance policy, the Hospital may discipline employees for “excessive absenteeism” after three “different occasions” in a year. (Hospital Work Rules, R. 44, Page ID #435–36.) The policy defines “occasion” as “one day or any number of consecutive days,” and clarifies that: For example, four consecutive days off due to an illness would be a single occasion. If the employee returns to work and a week later is absent because of the same or different illness, this would be a separate occasion of absence. (Id.) Violations of the policy are subject to progressive discipline: a verbal warning after the third occasion, a written warning after the fourth, and probation after the fifth. Any further occasions of absence could lead to discharge. After her asthma worsened in 2013 and 2014, King was absent on several occasions due to her asthma flare ups. Some of these absences were covered by either FMLA or non-FMLA leave. Over the years, Bungard gave King several written and verbal warnings for attendance issues. But Bungard occasionally withdrew the disciplinary actions after the Hospital excused King’s absences under a medical leave policy. In one discipline report, Bungard noted “Discipline Cancelled,” scratched out two absence periods, and jotted “error FML” next to the excused absence dates. (Discipline Rep., R. 44, Page ID #444.) No. 21-3445 King v. Steward Trumbull Mem. Hosp. Page 5