CSX Updates Attendance Policy

CSX will implement a revised Attendance Policy, effective January 1, 2023, to “provide CSX employees a more flexible policy and respond to concerns expressed by craft employees and labor organizations,” the Class I recently announced.

According to CSX, the new company-wide Attendance Policy, which was developed in large part through discussion with labor representatives, replaces all prior craft-specific attendance policies and provides improvements favorable to employees in several key areas.

Most notably, in contrast to prior policies, points that accrue for accountable absences will expire on a rolling 12-month cycle rather than continue to accumulate indefinitely. All craft employees will now earn five points of good attendance credits for each calendar year quarter worked without an absence. Points will not be assessed for documented hospitalizations, emergency treatment or scheduled medical appointments.

The new policy, CSX says, will also be non-disciplinary and non-punitive, and the railroad will “no longer subject employees to formal investigations, hearings or disciplinary suspensions.” Instead, the Class I adds, employees who exceed certain point thresholds will receive timely notifications and encouragement to correct their attendance records. Leadership will also be empowered to exercise discretion in the handling of those with special needs and consider alternative approaches in appropriate circumstances.

According to a recent Reuters report, CSX is “among the railroads that used so-called points-based attendance policies to reduce unplanned absences. Under the long-established policies, workers are penalized with points for unscheduled absences, and risk being suspended or fired.”

According to Reuters, “the scheme came under fire during the pandemic, when industry-wide job cuts meant to bolster profits left fewer workers to manage the COVID-related cargo surge.”

On Dec. 2, President Biden signed into law H.J. Res. 100, preventing a rail strike but unionized rail workers will not gain from Congress an unfunded mandate of seven railroad-paid sick days annually. The House-passed paid sick leave resolution was defeated by not achieving a 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster. It attracted only 52 affirmative votes and 43 “nays.”