In most of the US, yes. Most employment is at-will, so an employer can end it for one no-call no-show, unless a contract, a union agreement or company policy says otherwise. Many employers have a written rule, often three days in a row, before they count it as quitting. Temp workers are often ended from an assignment after one. This post is not legal advice. For the agency side, the real cost of a day-one no-show is the client relationship, and most of them can be prevented the night before.
The short legal answer
At-will employment means either side can end the job at any time, for almost any reason that is not illegal. One no-call no-show is a legal reason. Whether an employer actually does it depends on their policy and the situation. A worker with a real emergency who calls as soon as they can is usually treated differently from one who just did not turn up.
If you are a worker reading this: call. Even late. Even the next morning. A late call is a different thing from no call.
What a day-one no-show costs the agency
The client ordered five people for 6 a.m. Four showed. The line runs short, the lead is angry, and the client's first experience of your firm is a phone call about who is missing.
The worker loses a shift. The agency loses something bigger: the client's belief that you check your people. Two no-shows in a month and the client tries the other agency, whatever your fill rate says.
Why most of them happen
Not laziness. Usually one of these.
- The worker did not know the start time, or had the wrong one.
- They went to the wrong gate.
- They did not have the boots or the badge, and were sent home.
- They were never sure the job was real, because the confirmation was vague.
- They took another offer and did not say.
Every one of those is visible the night before, if someone asks.
What to confirm the night before
Send the four-line note and make the call.
- The number. "$19 an hour, paid weekly, first check on the 14th."
- The start. "Monday, 5:45 a.m., Gate B, ask for Dana. Steel-toe boots."
- The one thing they said mattered. "No weekends, confirmed with the site."
- What happens next. "I'll call you Sunday at 5 p.m. to check you're set."
Then make the Sunday call. The worker who is wavering says so on the call, not at 6 a.m. Monday, and you have the evening to find a replacement.
For branch managers
Count day-one no-shows per recruiter. If one desk has more, look at their confirmation notes before you look at their candidates. The note is usually the gap.
Where M-Tracker fits
The confirmation note has a standard: the four lines above. M-Tracker checks each note against it before it goes out and tells the recruiter in plain words when a line is missing, like the gate or the start time. The gap gets fixed Sunday evening instead of being found at the gate.
Try M-Tracker free14-day trial. No credit card. No employee surveillance.
Questions people ask
Can a temp agency fire me for a no-show on an assignment?
They can end the assignment, and in most states the employment too. Many agencies will give you another chance if you call and explain.
What if I had an emergency?
Call as soon as you can and say so. Most employers treat a no-call differently from a late call.
Does one no-show go on my record?
With the agency, usually yes. It affects whether you are offered the next order. A call and an apology go a long way.
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