In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: 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.

You may choose to talk to this friend about the value of the relationship and how to make it better. If the friendship is worth saving but the behavior is something you just can’t live with, suggest that you and your friend brainstorm some solutions.  Be prepared to either work on the relationship or go with the changes that result if things do not change. Friendships change and this might be a time where you start to grow apart. Remember you both have different personalities and perceptions so take the time to have an honest dialogue about why you are friends, whether you want to continue the friendship, and how to go forward. Be sure to tell your friend how much you love him or her and value the friendship. This isn’t about hurting feelings or blame; it is about making the friendship stronger because you see value in it. Whether it’s a relationship with a friend, romantic partner, or family member, all healthy relationships should respect the individual boundaries of each person involved. If your friend is often unreliable, you may not have clearly set boundaries regarding what you are willing to accept and not accept in your friendships.  Put your well-being first and make sure that everyone in your life understands how you expect to be treated. Show them the same courtesy in kind. If the unreliable friend is often late, be assertive and tell him this is unacceptable. “Zack, every time we go out you’re nearly an hour late. I always show up when I say I will. I will stop making plans with you if this keeps happening.” Setting clear boundaries about how you communicate and interact will help this process. It might just be a misunderstanding or something that happened unintentionally. But, once you make your boundaries clear, the behavior should improve. Many people with unreliable friends who have proven incapable of changing simply learn to work around the problem. This might be a suggestion for you if you have tried to help your friend change and nothing seems to help. Ways to work around your friend may include:  Never making plans with this friend alone. That way if he or she is late or bails, it won't ruin the entire outing. Having someone else to wait with instead of being on your own Anticipating that any plans with this friend probably won't go as expected Not stopping what you're doing to wait for your friend's arrival. Tell the person to text or call when they're right outside In an extreme case, you may just decide to end the friendship. If there isn’t a long-term friendship or you feel like this friend is not really invested in improving his or her behavior, this is probably the best move. If you feel like it is time to end the relationship, make a clean break without drama if that is possible. If this is a co-worker, agree to remain friendly but set a clear boundary about leaving the relationship strictly at work.
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One-sentence summary -- Try to problem-solve together. Set personal boundaries. Learn to work around your unreliable friend. End the friendship.

Problem: Article: Remember that just because you have a lot of friends or are in a crowd, doesn’t mean that lots of people will cure your feeling of loneliness. Use being in a crowd to meet different people and identify people you can form quality relationships with. Sometimes we feel lonely or alienated from a group because of the people we’re around – sometimes we view them as friends – are mean to us, make fun of us, or are not supportive of us. Don’t spend time with these people. Leave the group and find another group of people (or individuals) who do appreciate you for being you, who are positive, and who are supportive. Identifying good friends and enjoying their company in a crowd or at a party is important to not being lonely in a crowd. Your friends will not only offer you support and make you feel connected to the crowd, but they can act as a bridge to meeting new people. If you don’t connect with one individual or group, look for others. Don’t give up. There are a lot of different people out there. You might find that you feel completely out of place with one group, but totally connect with another group. Sometimes you might not be able to find others who are like you. Instead of withdrawing into yourself, try to view this as a good thing and try to get to know people who are much different from yourself.  You’ll potentially grow as a person. You might discover that people you share much in common with people you thought are different than you. You’ll come to appreciate and enjoy diversity and differing opinions much more. ” Being shy or different is no reason to feel lonely in a crowd. If you embrace these labels and use them as an excuse for your loneliness, chances are, nothing will ever change. Studies have shown that people often avoid socializing with people who seem to be shy or withdrawn. Instead:  Try to see yourself as a social person. View being shy as something that you can overcome. Realize that there are people like you out there, too.
Summary:
Understand that it's the quality of friend that matters, not quantity. Avoid people who make you feel bad. Surround yourself with friends. Be persistent when it comes to finding people you like to associate with. Embrace the fact that everyone is different, and enjoy it. Rise above labels such as being “shy” or “different.