Managing Time and Absences

Time and Absence Management

Managing employee time and attendance is a core responsibility for supervisors. By accurately approving timesheets and absences, you ensure that faculty, staff, and students are paid correctly and on time. Clear, consistent management of time away from work also supports your team’s wellbeing and helps the University maintain policy compliance.

To navigate the platforms used for tracking, follow the guidance on the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) training website.

Absence Management

Time Management

Managing Extended Leaves of Absence

Employees who need extended time away from work for parental, medical, personal, or military leave will be supported by the Leave Administration team, which will connect them with resources from the University so they can focus on themselves, their health, their family, or their service to the country.

During an employee’s time away, a University leave specialist will update the supervisor and local HR staff on the status of the leave, track the time away, work with the employee on benefits coverage, and help to communicate and coordinate the return to work plan.

Requesting a Leave for an Employee if Needed

Employees should submit their leave requests following the process outlined on the Planning a Leave of Absence webpage.

In an emergency, if an employee cannot submit a request themselves, a supervisor, family member, or HR staff can can initiate a leave request on their behalf by:

  • Emailing [email protected]
  • Calling OHR’s Leave Administration team at 612-624-8647 or 800-756-2363 and choosing option No. 2, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.
  • Faxing documents to 952-232-4915

Note: Even when the employee has not requested a leave under FMLA, if the supervisor knows or has reason to believe that the employee is out of work for an FMLA-qualifying reason, the supervisor should proceed as if a request for FMLA was received and contact the Leave Administration team. The Leave Administration team will determine if the absence qualifies for FMLA and reach out to the employee for supporting documents.

Leave Checklist for Supervisors

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Prepare (Once an Employee Notifies You)

Tasks

Prepare for employee leave of absence:

  • Review the Leave of Absence webpage
  • Contact the Leave Administration team with further questions.
  • Put the employee in touch with the Leave Administration team if they have further questions.

You may be contacted by a leave specialist when your employee’s leave is approved or if more information is needed.

Related Resources

Plan (4+ Weeks Before an Employee’s Leave)

Tasks

Plan coverage for work:

  • Confirm leave timing with employee and discuss work transition while on leave at a high level.
  • Discuss your employee’s leave with your HR staff to receive guidance on transitioning your employee’s work to others, if needed.

Communicate and Adjust as Needed (During a Leave)

Tasks

  • Look for communications from your employee or leave specialist in case they have notified you of plans changing.
  • If an employee extends leave, you may need to adjust workforce plans. Contact your unit's HR staff for guidance, if needed.

Reintegrate (When an Employee Returns)

Tasks

Prepare for employee’s return to work:

  • A University leave specialist will contact you one to two weeks before your employee’s planned return to confirm the return and will notify you of plans.
  • Work with your employee and the UReturn office to understand any accommodations they’ll need when returning from their leave, including a phased return, if needed.

Reinstate the employee in the same or equivalent position:

  • For job-protected leaves, the employee must return to the same or equivalent position as before the leave. If the employee is returning to an equivalent job, rather than the same job, you should discuss the terms of the new position with the employee. The new position must have:
    • The same compensation, including any unconditional pay increases that occurred during the employee's absence
    • Substantially similar duties, working conditions, responsibilities, privileges, and status
    • The same or geographically equivalent work site (for example, no significant increase in commute)
    • The same or equivalent shift or work schedule
    • The same or equivalent opportunity for discretionary and non-discretionary payments
  • Temporary employees returning to work after a job-protected absence will be returned to the same or equivalent position provided the position remains a staffing need for the department.

After the employee returns to work:

  • Acknowledge employees who have provided coverage for the employee out on leave to encourage team motivation and morale.

Related Resources