absent adj

1 not in a specified place physically or mentally [ant: present]

2 lost in thought; showing preoccupation; "an absent stare"; "an absentminded professer"; "the scatty glancing quality of a hyperactive but unfocused intelligence" [syn: absentminded, abstracted, scatty] v : go away or leave; "He absented himself" [syn: remove]

English

Etymology 1

From lang=fr < absent-, the stem of absens, present participle of abesse, formed from ab + esse.

Pronunciation

• , /ˈæbsənt/, /

Workplace

Frequent absence from the workplace may be indicative of poor morale or of sick building syndrome. However, many employers have implemented absence policies which make no distinction between absences for genuine illness and absence for inappropriate reasons. One of these policies is the calculation of the Bradford factor, which only takes the total number and frequency of absences into account, not the kind of absence. As a result, many employees feel obliged to come to work while ill, and transmit communicable diseases to their co-workers. This leads to even greater absenteeism and reduced productivity among other workers who try to work while ill. Work forces often do excuse absenteeism caused by medical reasons if the worker supplies a doctor's note or other form of documentation. Sometimes, however, in the workforce, people choose not to show up for work and do not call in advance, which most businesses find to be unprofessional and inconsiderate. This is called a no call, no show.

Landlord/tenant

Absentee landlords, who own property but rent its use out to others, are often considered a major social problem in areas with a wide disparity between rich and poor. A large proportion of absentee landlords are often considered an indicator of urban blight.

Presenteeism

There is also a growing concern about the fgg threat of presenteeism as well.

See also

• Saint Monday

References