Comfort Keepers Reliability Policy
General
Comfort Keepers is a service company that provides important and valuable services to
clients. In order to provide the best care possible, it is important that every employee be
present when scheduled in order to fulfill client expectations.
Any absences, late arrivals, or early departures from work place an undue burden on
other employees and supervisors and negatively impacts our ability to provide
extraordinary service to our clients.
This policy explains how the company will address excessive absenteeism, late arrivals,
and/or early departures from work for the purpose of maintaining extraordinary service
to our clients.
What Comfort Keepers
Expects From You
All employees are expected to report to work as scheduled, on time and ready to work.
Employees are expected to remain at work for their entire work schedule. Prior approval
from the Scheduling Department is required when leaving work early or working beyond
the scheduled work time.
Definitions
Absence
Exceptions
Paid holidays, pre-approved time off, and pre-approved leaves of absence will not count
as an occurrence for the purpose of this policy.
An absence from work is defined as the failure of an employee to report to work
when scheduled. This applies to any scheduled shift, including regular shifts,
overtime shifts, training meetings, in services, etc.
Occurrence
One day of absence will be considered one occurrence. An absence of up to five
(5) consecutive work days for the same illness, injury, incident, or reason will be
counted as one occurrence for the purpose of this policy 1. Each day of absence
thereafter will be considered one occurrence.
Late Arrival
A late arrival occurs when an employee clocks-in more than 10 minutes after the
start of his/her work schedule. This applies to any scheduled shift, including
regular shifts, overtime shifts, training meetings, in services, etc. A late arrival of
two (2) or more hours will be considered a ½ occurrence of an absence for the
purpose of this policy.
Early Departure
Early departure occurs when an employee leaves work prior to the end of his/her
scheduled shift. This applies to any scheduled shift, including regular shifts,
overtime shifts, training meetings, in services, etc. An early departure of two (2)
hours or more will be considered a ½ occurrence of an absence for the purposes
of this policy.
1
If your absence is the result of a serious health condition, you may be eligible for leave and you should consult and follow the company’s Family and
Medical Leave Act policy located in the Comfort Keepers Handbook.
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Comfort Keepers Reliability Policy
Pre-Approved Time Off
Comfort Keepers recognizes that, from time to time, employees may need time off from
work for various reasons and asks that employees schedule this time off in advance,
subject to company approval, whenever possible.
To be considered pre-approved time off, an employee must provide the company with
sufficient notice. Sufficient notice requires
 No more than six weeks but a minimum of two weeks advanced, written notice
 to the Scheduling Department
 via a Request for Time Off form.
Request for Time Off forms are available at each office location and online at
http://centralfloridaseniorhomecare.com/docs/.
Pre-Approved Time Off Capped at 12 Days Per Year
Effective January 1, 2014, pre-approved time off will be capped at 12 days in a calendar year.
Pre-approved time off is not considered an occurrence for the purpose of this policy.
Proper Call-In
Procedure
In the case of unplanned absences, employees who are unable to report to work are
responsible for notifying the Scheduling Department as early as possible but no later than
one hour before the start of their scheduled start time. Failure to do so may result in
disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. This notification does
not excuse the absence but simply notifies the Scheduling department that a schedule
change is necessary.
An employee MUST call the Scheduling Department him/herself to report an unplanned
absence. Employees cannot have a coworker, friend, or family member call in for them
unless the employee is completely incapacitated. The employee MUST speak directly to
the Scheduling Department- it is not enough to just leave a message.
No Call, No Show
It is the employee’s responsibility to notify the company each day that he/she is absent
unless we have received approved documentation supporting the absence in advance;
failure to do so is considered a no call, no show. Also, failure to report an absence within
one hour after the start of your scheduled start time will be regarded as a no call, no show.
With the exception of extreme and extraordinary circumstances, employees who are
absent from work without notifying Comfort Keepers will be considered to have
voluntarily resigned. Such resignation will be effective as of the end of the calendar day
the employee was absent.
Failure to Clock-In/Out
Every employee who clocks in and out for work must do so properly using the telephony
system. Instructions for clocking in and out using telephony are included in the Comfort
Keeper Handbook. If you are unable to clock-in/out using the telephony system, please
call the Scheduling Department or after hours line.
Failure to clock-in or clock-out may result in disciplinary action up to and including
termination of your employment.
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Comfort Keepers Reliability Policy
Notify Comfort Keepers
of Late Arrival/Early
Departure
If you are going to be late, you must contact the Scheduling Department no less than 30
minutes before your scheduled start time. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary
action up to and including termination of employment. This notification does not excuse
the late arrival. The Staffing/Scheduling Coordinator or other company designee will
notify the client or the appropriate party in the event that you are going to be late to
work.
Prior approval from the Scheduling Department is required when leaving work early or
working beyond the scheduled work time.
Absence for 3 or More
Consecutive Work Days
If you are absent from work for three or more consecutive workdays due to a non-work
related injury or illness, you will be required to provide a doctor’s note releasing you to
full duty (no restrictions) to the Human Resources Department before you will be allowed
to return to work. If you fail to provide a release to full duty, you will not be permitted to
work. You will be expected to return to work once you receive a note from your doctor
releasing you to full duty.
NOTE: If your absence is the result of a serious health condition, you may be eligible for leave and you should
consult and follow the company’s Family and Medical Leave Act policy located in the Comfort Keepers Handbook
Family & Medical Leave
Act (FMLA)
The Family & Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of
unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons as described below.

The birth of the employee’s child, or the placement of a child with the employee for
adoption or foster care;

A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential
functions of his/her job; or

A serious health condition affecting the employee’s spouse, child, or parent for whom the
employee is needed to provide care.

Immediate family members (spouse, child, or parent) of soldiers, reservists, and members
of the National Guard who have a “qualified exigency.”
In addition, eligible employees are entitled to take up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12month period to

provide care to U.S. military personnel injured in the line of duty.

Includes employee’s spouse/domestic partner, child, parent, or “next of kin.”
If the leave involves a serious health condition, it can be taken on an intermittent or reduced
schedule basis if medically necessary. Employees must attempt to schedule such leaves so as not to
disrupt normal business operations.
To be eligible for leave under the FMLA, an employee must
1. Have been employed by Comfort Keepers for a total of at least 12 months; and
2. Have worked at least 1250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of the FMLA
leave.
For more information on FMLA leave, please consult the Family and Medical Leave Act policy
located in the Comfort Keepers Handbook. Please contact Human Resources if you have any
questions regarding FMLA.
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Military Leave
In accordance with the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of
1994 (USERRA), employees will be granted unpaid leave for military service or training in
the U.S. Armed Forces. Employees may be entitled to leave for the duration of their
voluntary or required enlistment or tour of duty, up to five years.
Employees who have military reserve or National Guard obligations will also be granted a
leave of absence as required to fulfill their part-time training duties. Employees are
required to provide documentation noting military attendance dates to their supervisor
and Human Resources.
Employees who require military leave must notify their supervisor and submit a copy of
their military orders to Human Resources as soon as possible. This allows the Company to
make necessary business adjustments, as well as an opportunity to provide employees
with additional information regarding their rights and responsibilities under USERRA.
Bereavement Leave
Comfort Keepers recognizes the need for an employee to attend to certain matters upon
the death of a family member or relative.
 Employees are granted three (3) days of unpaid leave during the two week
period following the death of the employee’s spouse, domestic partner,
child/stepchild/adopted child, parent, step parent, sibling, step sister/brother,
grandchild, and any person for whom the employee is a legal guardian.
 Employees are granted one (1) day of unpaid leave during the two-week period
following the death of an employee’s grandparent, mother/father-in-law,
brother/sister-in-law, son/daughter-in-law, and aunt/uncle.
The company reserves the right to request verification of death.
Jury or Witness Duty
Leave
All employees are eligible for unpaid jury or witness duty leave. Employees must submit a
copy of their jury summons or witness subpoena to their supervisor and Human
Resources prior to jury service or testifying before a court. At the completion of jury
service or service as a witness, employees are required to provide their supervisor and
Human Resources with evidence of that service for the time claimed.
An employee who is not summoned as a witness but who appears before the court
voluntarily and requests to testify is not entitled to this leave.
An employee who is summoned to court for a criminal or civil proceeding where they are
a litigant or participant is not entitled to this leave.
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Comfort Keepers Reliability Policy
Domestic Violence
Leave
In accordance with Florida law, employees will be granted up to three (3) days of unpaid leave in
any twelve (12) month period if the employee or a family or household member of an employee is
the victim of domestic violence and the leave is sought;

To seek an injunction for protection against domestic violence, repeat violence, dating
violence, and/or sexual violence;

To obtain medical care or mental health counseling for the employee or a family or
household member to address physical or psychological injuries resulting from the
domestic violence;

To obtain services from a victim services organization;

To make the employee’s home secure from the domestic violence perpetrator or to seek
new housing to escape the perpetrator; or

To seek legal assistance to address issues arising from the domestic violence and to attend
and prepare for court-related proceedings arising from the domestic violence.
Except in cases where there is imminent danger to the health and/or safety of the employee or a
family or a household member, employees must provide the company with at least 48 hours
advance notice of the need for leave.
The company reserves the right to request sufficient documentation of the domestic violence. All
information relating to the leave will be kept confidential and is exempt from disclosure. This
documentation will be maintained by the Human Resources department and kept separate from the
employee’s personnel file.
Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions regarding the Domestic Violence Leave.
Personal Leave of
Absence
Comfort Keepers understands that employees may need time off from work to attend to critical
personal matters beyond their control. In an effort to recognize the needs of these employees,
Comfort Keepers may consider an unpaid personal leave of absence for no less than two (2) weeks
and no more than four (4) weeks. (NOTE: Seasonal employees are an exception to this rule.)
All employees with at least 3-months of continuous employment with Comfort Keepers are eligible
to apply for an unpaid personal leave of absence.
All leave requests must be made in writing and submitted to your direct supervisor no less than five
(5) business days before the expected leave start date. All requests must indicate the reason for the
leave, the expected duration of the leave, and a return to work date. Documentation supporting
the necessity for the leave should be included with the written request.
The Human Resources Manager must approve the leave of absence before it can be granted.
Factors including but not limited to the employee’s length of service, job performance, and
attendance record will all be considered before a request is approved, as will the impact the leave
would have on the business.
If a personal leave of absence is granted, the employee must return to work on the scheduled
return to work date. If the employee is unable to return to work on that date, then he/she must
request an extension in writing, no less than five (5) business days before the return to work date.
If Comfort Keepers does not extend the leave of absence, the employee must return to work on the
original return to work date. If the employee does not return to work on that date, then he/she will
be considered to have voluntarily resigned his/her employment.
Comfort Keepers reserves the right to grant or deny requests for unpaid personal leave for any
reason or for no reason at all.
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Comfort Keepers Reliability Policy
Progressive Discipline
The company will monitor and address excessive absenteeism, late arrivals, and early
departures throughout the calendar year, on a semi-annual basis.
 January 1 – June 30
 July 1 – December 31
Employees who fail to maintain an acceptable record of attendance will be subject to
corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.
ABSENCES
Occurrences in Semi-Annual Period
3
4
5
6
Progressive Discipline Step
Verbal Coaching
Written Warning
Final Written Warning
Termination
Occurrences will expire at the end of each semi-annual period.
LATE ARRIVALS & EARLY DEPARTURES
Late Arrivals & Early Departures in Semi-Annual Period
3
4
5
6
Progressive Discipline Step
Verbal Coaching
Written Warning
Final Written Warning
Termination
Late arrivals and early departures will expire at the end of each semi-annual period.
Comfort Keepers reserves the right to skip any one or more steps in this policy including
going directly to immediate termination.
A Note on Habitual
Offenders
Absences, late arrivals, and early departures will expire at the end of each semi-annual
period. However, employees who are habitual offenders (i.e. those who have established
patterns of time away from work, those who are consistently on progressive discipline
each period, etc) may trigger progressive discipline, including termination of employment,
even though previous infractions have expired.
Procedures
It is the responsibility of your immediate supervisor to monitor and address excessive
absenteeism, late arrivals, early departures, as well as patterns of time away from work.
The Human Resources department, along with each employee’s supervisor or next level
manager, will assume responsibility for ensuring that disciplinary actions are applied
consistently, that disciplinary situations are thoroughly evaluated before taking action,
and that policy is followed.
All warnings will be delivered by the employee’s direct supervisor, next level manager, or
Human Resources, as appropriate.
Comfort Keepers reserves the right to use its discretion in administering these policies.
Comfort Keepers reserves the right to amend or discontinue these policies at any time,
without notice.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the Comfort Keepers Reliability policy. I understand and
agree that it is my responsibility to read and familiarize myself with these policies and procedures.
I understand that except for my employment at-will status, any and all policies or practices can be
changed, suspended or terminated at any time by the Company.
I understand and agree that nothing in these policies or practices creates or is intended to create a
promise or representation of continued employment and that employment at the Company is
employment at-will; employment may be terminated at the will of either the Company or myself.
_____________________________________________________________________
Employee Printed Name
_____________________________________________________________________
Employee Signed Name
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__________________
Location
__________________
Date
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