Managing sickness

Why does absence from work matter?

Most employees will need to take sick leave at some point in
their working lives. Both physical and mental health problems can count as
sickness. Employers must treat mental and physical health as equally important.

Unplanned absence can be unavoidable but gives you no
control over work priorities or any time to arrange cover. It can include
things such as time off for dependants, but sickness absence is the most common
type of unplanned absence that you will need to deal with when managing people.

Effectively addressing sickness absence in organisations
can:

• Reduce
  absence levels
• Improve
  employee morale and wellbeing
• Boost
  productivity
• Save
  money

Measuring absence

Sickness absence is defined by Acas as any period of time
when an employee is unable to work due to illness, injury, or other medical
reasons. Accurate measurement and monitoring, identifying trends, and exploring
the underlying causes are key to effective absence management.

Do I need an absence policy?

Having clear absence policies can help manage absence in
organisations. Policies make it clear what is expected of the employer and
their employees if they need time off work. Employers must inform employees of
terms and conditions relating to sickness or injury, including sick pay.

Absence policies should cover how planned absence is dealt
with:

• Holiday
• Maternity,
  paternity, adoption, or parental leave
• Time
  off for medical or hospital appointments

But also, absences that can’t be planned in advance:

• Sickness
• Time
  off for dependants
• Time
  off for bereavement
• When
  there’s extreme weather or travel disruption

For some areas of absence, there will be a requirement to
follow legislation:

• Statutory
  sick pay (SSP)
• Fit
  notes and proof of sickness
• Time
  off for dependants

How do I manage short-term absence?

Return-to-work interviews can help early identification of
short-term absence. They also enable managers to start a dialogue about any
underlying issues causing the absence. Promoting a positive attendance culture,
while emphasising that genuine sickness absence will be supported, can help to
ensure non-genuine absence is not tolerated.

Data protection

Organisations should consider data protection rules and
confidentiality if they’re recording medical information about employees. For
example, if you’re recording the reasons for employees’ sickness absence.

• Be
  able to give a reason for keeping this information
• Make
  sure you only share it with relevant people

At Lovewell Blake, we can draft your absence policies and
support you with any absence issues that arise, so you can make sure they are
legally compliant, and your company isn’t exposed to unnecessary risks, as you
grow your workforce.