National Sickie Day – managing sickness absence
Statistically in the UK, today, the first Monday in February, is the day most employees call in sick to work.
With an estimated 375,000 British employees contacting their place of work to inform bosses of their sickness absence, the day is now branded ‘National Sickie Day’.
Wake Smith employment solicitor Nazia Kausar explores some practical guidance to help employers deal with the effects of short-term absences.
“Short-term absences in the work place are often described as single, frequent and persistent absences and it is important for employers to effectively manage these types of absences.
“Our Employment team works closely with businesses who instruct us to develop clear company policies and procedures for sickness absences, including reporting procedures and the consequences of not following those procedures.
“Having this guidance from the outset ensures that your employees are aware of your company’s policy and creates a firm structure for everyone to follow.”
For employers, such guidance helps to identify patterns in short-term absences and aids in monitoring and maintaining records of this in a fair and accurate way.
Keeping such records further helps to respond to the employee’s conduct, should there be a re-occurring issue.
On the employee’s return to work following a short-term absence, it is good practice to ensure that the employee self-certifies their reason for absence, the dates they were on leave and confirmation that the correct procedure was followed.
This ensures that the employee is consistently reminded of your company’s policy and the consequences set out within. This also makes record keeping much easier for employers.
Another practical step for an employer is to conduct return to work interviews with the employee.
Not only does this contribute to record keeping, but it also ensures that a fair process is being followed, as well as understanding and identifying the reasons for the absence, in case you, as an employer, need to consider/ make any adjustments.
Return to work interviews also help to confirm whether the employee has accurately followed the company policies and procedures and helps to strengthen communication by agreeing on appropriate support and action with the employee.
If you require further advice and guidance on managing sickness absence please contact Nazia Kausar on 0114 224 2027 or email [email protected].
