DDSB Attendance Management Program

The entire document is based upon the contradictory concept of punishment for "innocent absenteeism".

The list of reasons for absence that will not be subject to punitive measures as innocent absences is an incomplete list, meaning that, for instance, the use religious and legal days could be found to jeopardize an employee’s attendance record.

The threshold number of absences that would activate the Board’s scrutiny is an arbitray, moving target that will vary from individual to individual, permitting a process that will be inherently prejudicial for some of our members.

The monitoring process amounts to double jeopardy from which there is no escape even if improvements in attendance are achieved. Rather than a clean slate approach, setbacks will result in a return to only the most punitive phases of the process, those culminating in the threat of termination.

The primary means of "support" referred to again and again in this document is the DDSB’s completely inadequate EAP (Employee Assistance Program) which provides access to only two counselling sessions.

The Board’s new Attendance Support Specialist is unqualified and completely lacking in experience to carry out duties associated with questioning and counselling our members.

The only opportunity for union representation referred to in the document is a suggestion to seek union advice prior to warning employees about termination.

1. Request the record for your use of sick days (and other absences) from the DDSB’s Employee Records Department.

2. Keep accurate records of your absences for any reason and ensure that the DDSB’s records match yours.

3. Do not attend any meeting with any representative of management on this or any other issue not clarified in advance, no matter how seemingly friendly the tone, without a District 13 office representative present.