How many no-Show days equal ‘Job abandonment’?

Q. How many days does an employee have to report his absence (no show, no call) before we can terminate him for job abandonment? — W.L., Wisconsin

A. No fixed time exists for job abandonment under federal or state law. Typically, employers require that an employee be absent without notice for at least three consecutive days. Thus, an employee who fails to report to work for three consecutive days without notice will be deemed to have abandoned his or her job and will be terminated. 

The exception to this policy is an emergency situation in which the employee or his/her family is unable to contact the employer. In that rare case, the employee can request that his termination be reversed.