They call you at nine-thirty: an operator didn't show up, didn't give notice, and the phone just rings busy. Again. The owner's question is always the same: "Can I fire him?". The short answer is almost never for a single absence, and the long answer is that the Labor Contract Law gives you tools, but only if you use them in order and with paperwork. Here I explain what an unjustified absence is, what consequences it can bring to the worker, and why the most expensive mistake is made by the employer who skips steps.