Sickness Absence

"We believe that absence can make the heart not grow fonder"

Sickness Absence

Statistics show that the UK’s absence rate means that the typical employee now takes 6.4 days off sick each year.

Regardless of statistics, we appreciate how difficult and time-consuming managing sickness absence can be. You have to deal with the initial call notifying you of their sickness, manage their workload during their absence, ensure they are paid in accordance with their contract, deal with self-certification form requirements and GP fit notes, consider obtaining GP or Occupational Health medical reports, conduct welfare meetings, carry out return to work meetings, ensure they are supported upon their eventual return to work – the list is nearly endless!

We can help you manage sickness absence – we will look to reach a balance between supporting your employees’ wellbeing and taking firm, fair action against sick pay abuse. A range of methods can help you measure absence, understand how it’s affecting your business, and react effectively.

We allow each business to determine its own standards for absence, within reason, which will be supported by an absence policy informing employees of these standards and let them know what it expected of them. Your absence policy will provide a fair and consistent process to help you or your managers deal with absence and letting employees know how it will be measured.

Employers also need to be conscious of legal obligations in the event of an employee potentially being considered as disabled in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

In such circumstances, you might need to make reasonable workplace adjustments, to support the employee with their disability within the workplace.

We will work with you to ensure that you are acting in accordance with the relevant legislation when managing sickness absence. The longer an employee remains absent from work due to sickness, the more difficult it can be to help reintroduce them to work.