Staff off sick? How to manage and reduce absence

This approach not only results in increased costs but also puts the remaining employees under increased pressure.

Alternatively, acting positively to help the employee return to work not only has an economic benefit but also helps morale and overall productivity.

The foundation

The foundation for positively managing absence is having the right policies etc in place.

For example, your absence policy should state how employees should report absence, how often they should do this, what evidence is required (e.g. self-certification forms, Fit Notes etc) and your contract should include the right for you to send an employee for an independent medical examination.

Employees should be informed about the policy, especially during induction, and you should keep accurate absence records for all employees in order to prove consistency in your actions.

Consistency

Your policies are valueless if you do not follow them consistently. One critical element is the return to work interview which is a useful tool in several ways.

Firstly, it sends a clear message to all employees that they will need to account for their absence. Secondly, it can help identify how you can help employees overcome problems that are resulting in absence

Thirdly, it can provide early warning of potentially serious health issues which may involve disability.

Long-term illness

Regular contact, handled sensitively, is vital for managing these situations and to ensure the employee feels part of the team and that you want to help him/her return to work.

You should consider using occupational health professionals. The government is currently rolling out its “Fit for Work” programme which will provide limited free advice to employees and employers on how to overcome barriers for getting the employee back to work.

Having such advice can be vital not only for minimising the absence but also reducing your risk of a legal claim.

Read more on sick leave:

• Why are UK workers planning to take the day off on 25 April?
• Bosses must ensure wellbeing of staff if they are to protect bottom line
• What triggers rising trend of presenteeism – and how to improve staff health and productivity

Disability

In any sickness absence situation, you should be aware that it may result from a disability. This is defined as “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the individual’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

This is a wide definition and is another reason to involve health professionals in these more difficult situations. They can help you make the “suitable adjustments” required under the law to help the employee return as soon as possible.

Stress

A widely held management myth is that in cases of stress you should not contact the employee. In reality not only should you contact the employee but it is essential. This needs to be done sensitively and in a way that is not seen as overbearing.

However, the goal is to get the employee back to work and so you need to have a dialogue in order to achieve this goal.

Dismissals

Employees can be fairly dismissed on the grounds of capability, when the absence gets to a stage where an employer can no longer tolerate it.

Dismissal must be a last resort after you have made every effort to work with the employee to get him/her back to work. You must ensure you are informed about the employee’s illness and its likely ongoing impact and have taken up-to-date medical advice just before making your decision.

Pro-active absence management

The goal of pro-active management is to reduce absence, get employees back to work quicker and reduce the risk of an employment tribunal claim.

Achieving these goals depends on having the right policies etc in place, and having managers act positively and consistently.  The result can be increased productivity and generally improved morale.

Fancy some time off? You’ll want to steer clear of these 20 terrible excuses British workers have used for absences.

Terry Edney,  CEO of BusinessHR for Hiscox.

Image: Shutterstock

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