The Leadership Team has engaged in much debate lately regarding the Absence Policy. This will clarify what the policy is and reiterate that the Leadership Team is in alignment with the policy and is committed to upholding it.
The Policy states that members are allowed three (3) absences without sending a substitute. After 3, your membership position is vulnerable to being opened up to one of your competitors. In addition, you are allowed any number of absences if you’ve provided a substitute who shows up; however, one person can only substitute for you or (any other member) no more than 2 times.
We all have last minute, very legitimate things that come up that prohibit us from attending our meeting. For example, doctor’s appointments, sick children, sick animals, car accidents, etc. That is why we have 3 absences allowed. There was some discussion of allowing people one “free pass” on the absence rule with really good excuses (like the sub doesn’t show up); however, we realized it would ultimately be an arbitrary decision of who has a good enough excuse to invoke the “free pass”.
In summary: The policy states you are allowed 3 absences. If you arrive late (after 7:30 am) this will count as a 0.5 absence. And if you leave before the meeting ends, this also is a 0.5 absence. We want to be fair to everyone and uniformly enforcing the policy is the only way we know of being fair.
- Kathy Olberts, President
I read the posting on our BNI chapter site re: absentees however the policy description doesn’t indicate the time frame for the 3 allowable (unsubbed) absences. My understanding is that is over a 6 month period. Is that correct? Is it as of a third absence one may lose their membership or if they exceed that i.e. missing a fourth? Thx for clarifying this.
Hi Cathy,
It is over a 6 month period one is allowed 3.0 absences. At 3.5 absences one’s position can be opened up to the competition. Does this help? The current period runs from Oct.1 to March 31.
Kathy