Policy templateRead at source, September 23, 2026
No Call No Show Policy: A Template, How Many Before Termination, and the First-Day No-Show
A no call no show policy says what happens when an employee misses a scheduled shift without notifying anyone. No federal or state law requires one, and in at-will employment the employer sets the rule. The common standard for hourly teams is that one no call no show is a final written warning and three consecutive scheduled shifts are treated as a voluntary resignation — but the number matters less than writing it down, applying it the same way to everyone, and allowing for the legally protected absences. The template below covers the six things a policy needs. The first-day no-show, where a new hire never arrives at all, is a separate problem with a different fix.
What a no call no show is
A no call no show (often written NCNS) is an absence from a scheduled shift with no notice to the employer before the shift starts, or within whatever window the policy sets. It is different from a late call-out, which is an attendance issue, and from a protected absence the employee could not report in advance, which may not be an attendance issue at all.
Many hourly employers treat it more seriously than other absences, for an operational reason: a call-out at 5 a.m. leaves time to cover the shift; a no-show is discovered when the line is already short.
No call no show policy template
Adapt the brackets to your operation. Keep the reporting method specific; “notify your supervisor” is not specific.
1. Purpose
[Company] depends on every scheduled employee to staff each shift safely. This policy sets out how to report an absence and what happens when a scheduled shift is missed without notice.
2. How to report an absence
If you cannot work a scheduled shift, call or text [number or named role] at least [2] hours before the shift starts. A message to a coworker, or a post in a group chat, does not count as notice. If you are unable to report because of an emergency, report as soon as you practically can.
3. What counts as a no call no show
Missing a scheduled shift without reporting it under section 2 before the shift starts [or within the first 30 minutes of the shift].
4. Consequences
First no call no show: final written warning. Second within [12] months: termination. Three consecutive scheduled shifts without notice: treated as a voluntary resignation.
5. Exceptions
This policy does not apply to absences protected by law, including leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act and state leave laws, or to situations where reporting was not possible. Talk to [HR contact] if you think an exception applies. Absences will be reviewed before any action is taken.
6. Acknowledgment
I have read and understand this policy. Employee signature and date.
How many no call no shows before termination?
There is no legal number. In at-will employment, which covers most private employees in every state except Montana, an employer can set any threshold, including termination for a single no call no show. Montana is the exception because its Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act requires good cause to dismiss an employee who has completed the probationary period; a clear, consistently applied attendance policy is how Montana employers show it.
In practice most policies use one of three standards:
| Standard | Typical rule | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Strict | Termination on the first occurrence | Safety-critical coverage: care settings, security, single-staffed shifts |
| Common | Final warning on the first, termination on the second within a year | Most hourly teams |
| Job abandonment | Three consecutive scheduled shifts treated as a voluntary resignation | Used alongside either standard above |
Two cautions. First, whatever you choose, apply it the same way to everyone; uneven enforcement is how an attendance termination becomes a discrimination claim. Second, a job abandonment rule should include a documented attempt to reach the employee — a call, a text and a letter — before the separation is processed. Some people are in a hospital. Whether a job abandonment separation counts as a voluntary quit for unemployment purposes depends on state law and the facts.
The absences a policy cannot override
Leave laws change what “no call” means. Under the FMLA regulation at 29 CFR 825.303(c), an employee needing unforeseeable leave “must comply with the employer’s usual and customary notice and procedural requirements for requesting leave, absent unusual circumstances,” and the employer “may require employees to call a designated number or a specific individual.” That supports a clear call-in rule — but the phrase “absent unusual circumstances” means an employee who could not call because of the medical emergency itself has not simply broken the policy. Disability accommodation, state paid sick leave and military leave laws can apply in similar ways. Build the review step into the policy and use it.
The first-day no-show is a different problem
An attendance policy governs employees who have already started. It does nothing about the new hire who accepted the offer, completed the paperwork and never came in on day one. The causes are often on the hiring side: a long gap between offer and start, no contact in that gap, a competing offer that arrived faster, or a job that turned out to be different from the ad.
The fixes are small and dated:
- Shorten the gap. A start date within days of the offer beats one three weeks out.
- Confirm by text within the hour. Date, site, shift, pay and who to ask for, in writing the new hire can find on their phone.
- Touch the gap. A message a week out with the first-day details, and a text from the manager, by name, the day before.
- Make the ad match the job. The pay, the shift and the physical demands in the first lines of the ad, so the person who starts is the person who applied for that job.
Our page on first-90-days turnover has the full eight-touch cadence and the five places new hires exit, and the recruiting text message templates have the wording.
No call no show write-up template
The policy says what happens. The write-up is the record that it happened and that the rule was applied as written. Keep it to one page, complete it the day the employee returns or is reached, and file it whether or not the employee signs.
Before you write up an employee no call no show
- Review the absence against section 5 of the policy. A medical emergency, FMLA leave, a disability accommodation, state paid sick leave or military leave can change what the absence is.
- Write down every attempt to reach the employee, with the time and the method.
- Pull any earlier no call no shows inside the policy window, so the level of the write-up follows section 4 rather than the mood of the day.
The write-up
- Employee details: name, job title, site or department, supervisor, date of this notice.
- The missed shift: "[Employee] was scheduled to work [date, start and end time] and did not report to work or notify [number or named role] before the shift started, as section 2 of the No Call No Show Policy requires."
- Contact attempts: [times and methods], and the employee's explanation in their own words.
- Prior occurrences: [none / dates] in the last [12] months.
- Action taken: [final written warning / termination] under section 4 of the policy.
- What happens next: "A further no call no show within [12] months of this date will result in termination."
- Review: "This absence was reviewed for protected leave before this action. If you believe it was protected, contact [HR contact] by [date]."
- Signatures: employee and date, with the line "Signing confirms that I received this notice, not that I agree with it," a space for employee comments, and the supervisor's signature. If the employee declines to sign, write "declined to sign" and have a second manager initial it.
Use the same form for everyone. Two write-ups for the same kind of absence should read the same way, which is what makes the policy hold up when a decision is questioned.
Frequently asked questions
What is a no call no show?
A no call no show is an absence from a scheduled shift where the employee does not notify the employer before the shift, or within the window set by the attendance policy. It is usually treated more seriously than a call-out because the employer learns about it only when the shift is already short.
How many no call no shows before termination?
No law sets a number. A common policy is a final written warning for the first no call no show and termination for the second within a year, with three consecutive missed shifts treated as a voluntary resignation. Some employers terminate on the first occurrence for safety-critical roles. Apply the chosen rule consistently.
Can you fire someone for one no call no show?
In at-will employment, generally yes, if your policy says so and you apply it consistently. Montana requires good cause after a probationary period, and absences protected by laws such as the FMLA cannot be treated as ordinary no call no shows.
Is a no call no show considered job abandonment?
Many employers treat three consecutive scheduled shifts without notice as job abandonment, which the policy defines as a voluntary resignation. Make and document an attempt to contact the employee before processing it. Whether it counts as a voluntary quit for unemployment depends on state law and the facts.
Does the FMLA protect a no call no show?
The FMLA lets employers require employees to follow their usual call-in procedures, absent unusual circumstances, under 29 CFR 825.303(c). If an employee could not call because of the emergency that caused the absence, the absence may still be protected. Review the circumstances before applying the policy.
What should a no call no show policy include?
How and when to report an absence, what counts as a no call no show, the consequences for a first and repeat occurrence, the job abandonment rule, exceptions for legally protected absences and situations where reporting was impossible, and a signed acknowledgment.
How do you reduce first-day no-shows?
Shorten the time between offer and start, confirm the offer by text within the hour with the date, site, shift and pay, send the first-day details a week out, and have the manager text by name the day before. Make sure the job ad described the real pay, shift and work, so the new hire is not surprised.
How do you write up an employee for a no call no show?
Review the absence for protected leave first, then record the facts on one page: the scheduled shift that was missed, that no notice was given under the policy, every attempt to reach the employee, any earlier occurrences in the policy window, the action taken under the policy and what a repeat will mean. Ask the employee to sign for receipt and file it either way.
Does an employee have to sign a no call no show write-up?
No, and a refusal does not undo the write-up. Ask the employee to sign to confirm they received it, with a line saying the signature is not agreement, and give them space to comment. If they decline, note that on the form and have a second manager initial it. What protects the decision is that the same form and the same rule are used for everyone.
The cheapest no-show is the one who never had a reason to disappear.
Boostpoint runs Facebook and Instagram recruitment campaigns for hourly roles, with the pay, shift and work described in the ad so the people who start are the people who applied.
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