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Amid soaring absence rates many employees are now being accused of abandoning their employment, but there's a high threshold for establishing this in a dispute, a lawyer says.

NB Lawyers director Jonathan Mamaril says there's been an increase in abandonment-related disputes, and in this Q&A he discusses:

• why employment abandonment disputes are rising;
• the definition of abandonment of employment;
• legal considerations when managing absenteeism;
• common management pitfalls;
• writing abandonment clauses into agreements and contracts;
• key lessons from a recent Fair Work Commission ruling; and
• general best practice tips to avoid disputes and claims.