Summarize the following:
This may be clearly outlined in your company policy, or you may have to determine it based on comparisons of other employees in similar working positions. Keep in mind that if your employee is covered by one of the laws discussed in Part 1, you may have to adjust accordingly. If the absent employee has demonstrated that he missed work because of a recurrent health problem, a disability, a death in the family, or jury duty, and particularly, and if he has provided documentation, such as a doctor's note or note from the court, then the employee has a legitimate reason.  In this case, it is unlikely that you will need to take any disciplinary action. However, you can ask the employer to provide notice of when and how often he or she will need to take off work if, for example, the absences are related to a health problem. While it is not appropriate to ask for information or details about any diagnosis, it is fair to ask for documentation from the doctor so that you can plan around the needs of the employee.  Be aware that what constitutes a legitimate excuse may be different in different situations. Take each reason on a case-by-case basis. If your employee has an explanation that you believe, and evidence to back it up, then give them the benefit of the doubt. You don't want your employee to feel as though he is distrusted and constantly needs to defend himself, as this can result in stress and dissatisfaction for the employee. If your employee does not have good explanations or evidence for his absence, continue with steps to address the issue. Take some time to review the employee's performance and attendance history. If the employee has been with the company for several years and has been a stellar employee in terms of performance and attendance, then a new pattern of absence likely has a legitimate reason, or could indicate that the employee is no longer happy in his job.

Summary:
Determine whether or not an employee has a pattern of absenteeism. Find out whether the absences were legitimate. Review past attendance records.