Absconding notice template
Copy the text below and replace everything in square brackets with your company details.
[Company Name]
[Office Address]
[City], [State] [PIN Code]
Date: [Date]
Ref: [Company Code]/HR/ABS/[Year]/[Number]
By registered post with acknowledgement due and by email to [Personal Email]
To
[Employee Name]
[Designation], [Department]
Employee ID: [Employee ID]
[Last Known Residential Address]
[Permanent Address, if different]
Subject: Unauthorised absence from duty since [First Date of Absence]
Dear [Employee Name],
According to our attendance records, you have not reported for duty since [First Date of Absence], and no leave application or information about your absence has been received from you. Your last recorded attendance was on [Last Working Date].
The company has tried to contact you on the following occasions, without success:
- Phone calls to [Mobile Number] on [Dates] by [Name of Caller].
- Messages sent on [Dates] by [SMS, WhatsApp or email].
- A call to your emergency contact, [Contact Name], on [Date].
Your absence without leave or intimation is treated as unauthorised absence under clause [Clause Number] of the [standing orders / conduct rules]. You are directed to report to [HR Contact Name] at the above address on or before [Reporting Date] at [Time], and to explain your absence in writing.
If you are unable to report because of illness, an accident or any other emergency, please inform us at once by phone at [Phone Number] or by email at [HR Email], and send supporting documents when you can. The company will consider your circumstances.
If you neither report nor explain your absence by [Reporting Date], the company will proceed as provided in the [standing orders / conduct rules], which may include ending your employment, without further reference to you. In that event, any wages and other dues payable to you will be settled as per law, and you will be required to return the company property in your possession, including [ID card, laptop or other items].
Yours sincerely,
For [Company Name]
[Signatory Name]
[Signatory Designation]
Acknowledgement (if delivered by hand)
Received by: [Name], [Relationship to Employee, if not the employee]
Signature: ____________
Date: ____________
What to include
Facts of the absence
State the first day of absence and the last day attended, taken from attendance records. The dates matter later for wages, leave and the final settlement.
Record every contact attempt
List calls, messages and the emergency contact call with dates and who made them. It shows the company acted fairly before writing, and protects it if the employee later claims no one tried to reach them.
A clear reporting date
Give a specific date, time and person to report to, with enough time for post to arrive. A vague instruction to report immediately is hard to rely on.
Room for genuine emergencies
Invite the employee to explain illness, an accident or a family emergency. Some absences that look like absconding turn out to be hospital admissions.
Proof of delivery
Send by registered post with acknowledgement due and by email, and keep the postal receipts. If the matter goes further, proof that the notice was sent to the last known address is essential.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating an employee as having left after a few days without sending any notice.
- Sending the notice only by WhatsApp with no postal or email record.
- Withholding wages already earned because the employee has absconded.
- Writing that the employee is terminated in a notice that asks them to report.
- Using an old address when the employee updated it in HR records.
Run it in ZeniaHR
ZeniaHR flags the problem early: when attendance rules are on, an absent alert goes to the employee and the manager at night, and the live board shows who is not in yet. The employee's month log gives HR the first date of absence and the last punch for the notice. If the matter ends in separation, HR records it through offboarding with the matching exit reason and the exit checklist, and Direct Payroll bounds paid days by the exit date.
See it on your own data
A 30-minute demo on a video call. We set up your departments, shifts and leave rules and show attendance, leave and payroll running for your team. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
When is an employee considered to be absconding?
An employee is usually described as absconding when they stay away from work without leave or information and do not respond to the company's attempts to contact them. Standing orders or conduct rules often mention a number of days of such absence after which action can be considered. Check the rules that apply to your establishment.
How many absconding notices should be sent?
Many companies send two notices, a first asking the employee to report and a second, final notice if there is no response, each with a reasonable reporting date. Send both by registered post and email to the addresses on record, and keep proof of dispatch.
Can wages be withheld from an absconding employee?
Wages already earned are due to the employee and should not be withheld as a penalty. When employment ends, wages are payable within two working days of the separation. Company property not returned can be followed up separately, as the policy and the law allow.
What should HR do if the absconding employee returns?
Take a written explanation and supporting documents, such as medical records. If the reason is genuine, regularise the absence as leave or leave without pay as the policy allows. If it is not, the company may proceed under its conduct rules with a show cause notice.