Absent Without Leave | Meaning and Definition

What is Absent without leave or AWOL?

The AWOL abbreviation stands for ‘absent without leave’. This term indicates that an employee is absent from his or her duties or responsibilities without authorization or notice. It has a negative influence on an employee’s reputation, and in many firms, having an AWOL status can result in formal punishment. It allows employers the authority to terminate an employee’s employment if they follow the proper procedures. Being AWOL can have a detrimental impact on an employee’s career prospects and is not considered as a good move. If an employee is not satisfied with his or her employer, he or she must follow the procedure to leave the employment instead of leaving without any kind of prior notice. 

Being absent without leave (AWOL) is considered workplace misbehavior, and your company may discipline you as a result. If you are working in the private sector, you may not have any rights if you go missing. Employees who work at-will can be fired for any reason, even going missing. The employer, on the other hand, may have a policy in place that handles misbehavior and discipline. A single episode of AWOL may not be a fireable crime, depending on the policy and how severely your company enforces it but it may cause loss of pay as a serious consequences for an employee.

Most workers in the government sector, on the other hand, have the right to prior written notice and an opportunity to react to some disciplinary proceedings, such as 2-week suspensions, disqualifications, and layoffs.