The absent employee - Can you terminate for repeated absenteeism?

Some employees hardly take any personal leave, and continue to accrue their personal leave days from year to year. On the other end of the spectrum, you have employees who appear to take vast amounts of sick leave, and often in excess of the statutory minimum of 10 days of paid personal leave per year.

Most employers have policies in place that stipulate the procedure to be followed by an employee when they're taking a personal leave day. Often this procedure involves notifying a supervisor or manager before the start of the day or shift, of the fact that the employee will be absent from work, and requires the provision of a doctor's certificate to substantiate the illness, in order for it to be paid leave.