What counts as misconduct?
- The model standing orders list, among others, theft, fraud, wilful disobedience, habitual lateness or absence, drunkenness, fighting, sleeping on duty and sexual harassment order 24(5).
- Continuous absence without permission and without satisfactory cause for more than ten days is on the list order 24(5)(l).
The model standing orders are for industrial establishments with three hundred or more workers (IR Code s. 28(1)), and your employer's certified standing orders may differ. Elsewhere, check your appointment letter, and see what applies at a smaller workplace.
The citations are to the service sector's model. These points read the same for manufacturing (order 23) and mining (order 24).
Last checked 1 Nov 2026 · written from the official text · not reviewed by a lawyer. This explains the law in general and does not decide your case.