Attendance is one of the key fundamentals of BNI to increase visibility and be top-of-mind with our Referral Partners.

As such, we invite members to review and take to heart the following policies:

Attendance Policy

**Members Policy #5** states that attendance is critical to the group. If a member cannot attend the weekly meeting, you may send a substitute (not a member of the chapter) to the meeting.

This will not count as an absence. A member is allowed 3 absences every rolling 6 months. More than this, the member's classification may be opened by the chapter's Membership Committee.

Substitute Program

If you have no absences, members are allowed to send up to 6 substitutes in rolling 6 months.

If you have absences, then, you are allowed up to 3 substitutes.

• Potential Substitutes include: Business partners, customers, family and/or employees.
• It is NOT recommended to have a "former member" be your substitute unless he/she is your business partner. Members will remember them for their business and not yours.
• Members should alert the Vice President or Power Team Lead a day before the chapter meeting in case you will be sending a substitute.
• It is the Member’s responsibility to help the substitute prepare for the meeting so that he/she can represent a BNI member well. This includes reminding the substitute of the proper attire, start time of the meeting, weekly spiel and the order of which he/she will be speaking in the weekly spiels.
• You are also encouraged to further equip your substitutes by having them attend the Member Success Program as a participant.

Medical Leaves

There are no leaves of absence except for Medical Leaves. A member may take up to 8 weeks medical leave with the Membership Committee's prior approval if their meeting fees are prepaid for that period of time and they attempt to have someone "fill in" during their leave.

• A Medical Leave MUST be approved by the Membership Committee, and can be used for extenuating circumstances that requires long term for recovery such as; doctor recommended medical leave, maternity and paternity leave.
• Members should send an email to the Membership Committee when applying for medical leave and should mention the reason. A start date and an expected return date is mandatory.
• Single medical episodes which include cold, flu, food poisoning, or a sick child do not constitute medical leave. Attendance policy is in place for such a situation.
• In case of COVID, a test result will suffice to claim for Medical Leave.
• In case the member has to be hospitalized for sudden symptoms, this can be marked as Medical Leave as long as the Member is able to provide with the Medical certificate after recovery.
• The hospitalization of the member's relatives or dependents are not to be considered as medical leave.
• Members who experience a death in the family may inform the Membership Committee so that their absences can be filed under medical leave.