Mars Inc.
Attendance Policy (US)
(effective March 2020)
PURPOSE
Mars, Incorporated depends upon Associates who are fully engaged and contribute to the success of the business each day. In the spirit of The Five Principles, we offer work/life flexibility options and time-off that enhance our competitive advantage and reflect our unique culture.
RESPONSIBILITY
Our most basic attendance guideline is that every Associate is expected to be at work on time when scheduled. This is critical and fundamental to both Associate and Company performance.
PROCEDURE
Associate attendance is key to the success of Mars. Excessive absenteeism and tardiness create a hardship for the business, impact overall productivity and engagement, and ultimately impact our customers.
Coverage
All active full and part-time Associates are expected to understand our attendance policy and manage their own attendance within the established guidelines.
Monitoring Attendance: Each Line Manager is responsible for monitoring attendance of direct reports. Line Managers are also responsible for evaluating an Associate’s attendance and may provide counseling, guidance, and/or discipline when necessary.
Schedule Exceptions: Deviations from the Associate’s schedule are called “Exceptions.” All Associates must report all time away from scheduled workdays. Time off may be granted, with proper approval obtained from their Line Manager and any required documentation provided.
Emergency Late Start Request: Non-Exempt Associates must request a late start from their Line Manager prior to the scheduled start time. There is a limit of (5) per calendar year.
Attendance Tracking
Exempt Associates: Acceptable Standard
Exempt Associates are expected to maintain acceptable attendance and complete their work as assigned on a timely basis. Absenteeism which becomes excessive (in the Company’s discretion, chronic behavior, impacts the team, or occurs in a pattern) or affects Associates’ ability to perform their job or complete their duties may be treated as a disciplinary issue through coaching, warnings and/or separation or as a performance issue as appropriate under the circumstances.
Non-Exempt Associates: Incidents and Points
Non-Exempt Associates’ attendance will be tracked through a process whereby points are assigned in the Timekeeping System for specific attendance incidents not protected by law. Each incident accrues a point value, and accumulation of points may lead to disciplinary action up to and including separation of employment. It is the Associate’s responsibility to manage any exceptions to their timecard in the Timekeeping System and ensure their timecards are accurate each pay period to avoid incurring points when an exception was approved. Any points that are assigned as a result of the Associate’s failure to manage exceptions may result in the points remaining on the Associate’s attendance record unless otherwise protected by law, and disciplinary action may be issued for accrual of points and/or improper timekeeping.
The chart below defines specific attendance incidents and corresponding point values.
Incident |
Points |
Late (clocking in greater than 1 minute past the scheduled start time) |
Half (½) Point |
Early out (clocking out greater than 1 minute before the scheduled end time) |
Half (½) Point |
Missed or incorrect clocking in/out |
Half (½) Point |
Unapproved Absence (No Show, Non-FMLA) |
One (1) Point per day |
No Call No Show |
Two (2) Points |
No Call No Show (2 Consecutive working days) |
Six (6) Points |
Approved Absence (Vacation, Paid Sick Time, FMLA) |
NO POINT |
Note: after Paid Sick Time is exhausted and an incident for Sick Leave Pay is initiated, if the Associate provides a doctor’s note for the consecutive days absent (3 or more), the entire absence counts as 1 point (not 1 point per day). |
No Call No Show: In addition to the accumulation of the points above, any Non-Exempt Associate who does not report to work and fails to make the appropriate notification of their absence will be subject to points and disciplinary action as noted below:
No Call No Show |
Disciplinary Action |
1st Incident |
Two (2) Points & Written Warning |
2nd Incident |
Two (2) Points & Final Warning |
3rd Incident |
Two (2) Points & Separation |
2 consecutive scheduled days |
Six (6) Points & Separation |
Points are counted on a 12-month rolling calendar with the exception of emergency late starts. Points that accrue in the 12 months immediately preceding the last incident are used to determine the appropriate level of disciplinary action. Based on the number of points accrued, the following disciplinary actions will occur:
Number of Points |
Possible Disciplinary Action |
3 |
Coach/Counsel |
4 |
Written Warning |
5 |
Final Written Warning |
6 |
Separation from Employment |
Company Discretion
For all Associates, the Company reserves the right to manage any unusual use of time or pattern of abuse and/or may require medical documentation for any absence. Additionally, the Company reserves the right to address such abuses by implementing accelerated disciplinary action up to and including separation of employment. The Associate’s Line Manager will review all such situations on a case-by-case basis and make a recommendation based on the Associate’s overall availability for work and the specific circumstances.
When Associates are absent from work due to reasons that would be FMLA-qualified but they are not eligible for FMLA, the Company reserves the right to manage the absence on a case-by-case basis.
Pay Codes in the Timekeeping System (subject to change)
Associate and Above: |
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Pay Code |
Kronos Code |
Definition |
Attendance Impact |
|
Bereavement Leave |
BEREAVE |
Bereavement leave. See Policies website for a list of qualifying family members. |
No |
|
CA Lunch |
CA LUNCH or BREAK |
Paid time for Non-Exempt Associates working in the state of California that have worked through lunch. This is to be used in combination with a Regular Hours pay code, which has an approved no lunch comment attached. |
No |
|
Call-in Hours |
CALL IN |
Only used for non-worked hours necessary to bring the total paid hours to the minimum number when a Non-Exempt Associate is called into work for emergency reasons. A minimum of 4 hours of straight time pay is guaranteed. Only hours actually worked count towards overtime. |
No |
|
Company Business |
COMP BUS |
Hours an Associate works off-site. |
No |
|
Emergency Late Start |
Emer Start |
Used when an Associate arrives at work within 2 hours or less of scheduled start time; maximum of 5 in a calendar year. |
No |
|
Flexible Holiday – Current Year |
FLXHOL CY |
Current year Flexible Holiday hours. May be taken in 1-hour increments. |
No |
|
Flexible Holiday – Prior Year |
FLXHOL PY |
Only used in conjunction with time off in prior year. |
No |
|
|
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Holiday Current Year |
HOL CY |
System generated based on calendar year. DO NOT USE FOR FLEXIBLE HOLIDAY. |
No |
|
Holiday Prior Year |
HOL PY |
System generated based on prior year. DO NOT USE FOR FLEXIBLE HOLIDAY. |
|
|
Intermittent Leave |
INTER LEAVE |
Unpaid time used with an approved leave case. This code will notify Regional Nurse Case Manager that intermittent leave time must be communicated. This code is not tied to one leave type. |
|
Pay Code |
Kronos Code |
Definition |
Attendance Impact |
Jury Duty |
JURY DUTY |
Jury duty or when an Associate is subpoenaed as a witness for a case in which there is no personal interest. |
No |
Regular Hours |
REGULAR |
Scheduled work time |
No |
Ride |
RIDE |
Paid amount entered by California Associates, which are entitled to State Qualified Ride Sharing Program. This is entered at the time clock and passed to the Associate’s timecard. |
No |
Paid Sick Time Current Year |
PDSICKTIME CY |
When an Associate is absent due to their own illness/doctor’s appointment or to care for qualified family members. |
No |
Paid Sick Time Prior Year |
PDSICKTIME PY |
When an Associate is absent due to their own illness/doctor’s appointment or to care for qualified family members. Used when the last pay period carries over into the new calendar year. |
No |
Sick Leave Pay – Non-FMLA |
SICKLEAVE PAY |
Used for non-FMLA time away from work due to personal injury or illness up to 26 weeks. |
Yes |
Time Off – Unpaid |
TIMEOFF UNPD |
Used for time that an Associate is not scheduled to work due to plant work schedules (ex. Winter/emergency shutdowns). Also used for time away from work approved by Line Manager and P&O. |
No |
Vacation Current Year |
VAC CY |
Vacation hours taken. Vacation can only be taken during scheduled working hours and not beyond the base schedule. |
No |
Vacation Prior Year |
VAC PY |
Used when vacation hours are taken that were carried over from a previous year. Must be taken by April 30th of the following year. |
No |
Line Manager and above:
Pay Code |
Kronos Code |
Definition |
Attendance Impact |
Absent – Paid |
ABSNT PD |
Approved time away from work due to personal non-medical circumstances. |
No |
Absent – Unpaid |
ABSNT UNPD |
Unapproved time away from work due to personal non-medical circumstances. |
Yes |
Leave – Paid |
LOA PD |
Critical illness, surgery or accident in the Associate's immediate family. Generally, a maximum of 1 day per incident. Also used for approved Parental, Maternity, and Adoption Leave. |
No |
Leave – Unpaid |
LOA UNPD |
Leave of Absence approved by Line Manager and P&O to take care of personal matters or an unforeseen emergency that requires the Associate's immediate attention. |
No |
Military – Paid |
MILTRY |
Associate participating in an annual encampment or training duty. |
No |
Military – Unpaid |
MILTRY UNPD |
If an Associate is called to active duty. |
No |
No Call No Show – Absent Unpaid |
NCNS-ABSNT UNPD |
Unpaid time used for no-call no-show or for agreed overtime that the Non-Exempt Associate fails to work. |
Yes |
For additional information, refer to the following policy documents: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy Paid Sick Time Policy Sick Leave Pay Policy Maternity Leave Policy Parental Leave Policy Jury Duty Policy Military Pay Policy |