As an employer, managing sickness absences can be tricky. You will need to deal with absences proactively, reasonably and fairly, even if it leaves your organisation short-staffed and in a difficult situation.
Dealing with workplace sickness absence is more important than ever as the lingering effects of the pandemic continue to provide employers with challenges. The 2022 CIPD Report on Health and Wellbeing at Work 2022 found that two-thirds of employers cited Covid-19 as one of the top three causes of short-term absence and a quarter said that long-Covid was a major cause of long-term absence.
Sickness absence problems
Persistent absence through sickness can be damaging to a business if it is not well-managed. If existing staff members are asked to take on an additional workload, resentment can build and morale can drop. There is also a risk that mistakes will be made and service levels will decline.
If staff try to attend work when they are not at full strength, often referred to as presenteeism, their productivity is likely to be reduced and they may struggle to cope. Some of the main causes of problematic absence include the following:
- Mental health difficulties such as stress
- Short-term illness, with the report finding that colds, flu, stomach upsets and migraines are among the most common problems
- Long-term illness, where an employee is off for around four weeks or more, which could be as a result of a long-term health condition or a one-off event
Sickness absence policy
The first step in effectively managing sickness absence is to put a strong and comprehensive policy in place. This should be easily available to employees and those dealing with absence should be trained in how to deal with staff ringing in sick, including taking details of why they are unwell and when they are likely to return.
As a minimum, the policy should include details of the following:
- How and when the employee should notify the employer about their absence
- The number of days that the employee can self-certify themselves as sick and when a doctor’s fit note will be required
- The evidence that the employer will need for longer-term sickness
- How absence will be recorded
- How sick pay will be dealt with
- How return to work will be managed
It is advisable to keep in regular contact with an employee while they are off sick, however, this should be handled carefully to avoid making the employee feel stressed or pressured to return.
Helping employees with return to work
If a doctor’s fit note has been provided, this should let you know whether your employee needs one of the following:
- Phased return to work
- Amended duties
- Altered hours
- Workplace adaptations
You are required to make adjustments if necessary to help your employee return to work. It is also recommended that you hold a return-to-work interview with the employee. This will give your employee the opportunity to ask for any changes that may assist them. It can also have the effect of deterring non-genuine sickness absence.
Encouraging attendance
Flexible working can help employees manage stress levels and encourage a healthier work-life balance which may reduce the amount of absence.
With stress a major cause of workplace absence, holding sessions to help employees cope with stress and training managers to spot signs of stress can help manage absence. Healthy activities can also be sponsored by the employer, such as subsidised gym membership.
Incentives can be offered to those with a 100% attendance record, such as extra holidays. However, it is important not to discriminate against those who have had time off because of issues such as disability or pregnancy.
Managing sickness absence
Close monitoring of sickness absence will help you spot any patterns and allow you to step in to help or to review policies. Keeping your relationship with your employees supportive and helpful will mean that they will be more open to speaking to you about their needs. In the long term, this can help avoid staff losses and extended sick leave.
Where adjustments are needed to help an employee, you could consider taking professional advice from an occupational health expert. In addition, managers may need to be trained in how to deal with sickness absence to ensure that the firm’s policies are properly implemented across the board.
The following are key points in effectively managing sickness absence:
- Working to understand the reason for the absence
- Staying in touch with the employee while they are not at work
- Return to work interviews
- A return to work plan
- Avoiding discrimination
- Seeking medical advice so that you can understand what to expect and how to help your employee
Contact our employment solicitors
At Witan Solicitors, we can advise you in respect of sickness absence, including ensuring you have a robust policy in place that you and your employees can rely on. For more information in respect of our services, see our Employment Services page.
If you would like to speak to one of our expert employment law solicitors in London, Birmingham and Northampton, email us at info@witansolicitors.co.uk or fill in our contact form.
