Managing regular sickness absence

At some point or other sickness absence affects every business, with large businesses and businesses that operate within the healthcare sector affected the most.

Statutory sick pay, occupational sick pay, overtime and the cost of temporary cover, especially for skilled employees are all obvious costs to the business. There are also the indirect costs that you should bear in mind such as the potential fall in productivity due to upset to other employees when covering for colleagues.

Absence in the work place is natural, but as a business owner how should you deal with it?

First of all, you need a clear policy for sickness, which many businesses still do not have in place. To deal with absences consistently the policy should set out the following:

• How employees inform the organisation that they are sick
• If the employee is sick for more than 7 days including weekends, the purpose and arrangements for doctor’s notes
• The arrangements for ‘return to work’ interviews

Unauthorised absences usually result in disciplinary procedure with evidence of the absence provided.

What if short-term absences become frequent?

Business owners often find themselves in this position with their staff and are puzzled as to how they should approach the situation. Before taking action, as the employer you should ensure that you have gathered the correct information about the nature of the absences. If the absences are unacceptable there are the following steps to make the procedure as fair as possible:

• A full investigation into the facts to determine the causes of the absence, whether it is medical or non-medical
• A transparent and consistent employer sickness procedure including a return to work interview
• If this persists then further action can be taken with an absence review meeting taking the following steps:
– A review of the attendance record and the reasons for the absences
– An opportunity for the employee to state their case and to improve attendance
– Appropriate warnings or dismissal if attendance does not improve with medical certification a requirement
• A right for the employee to appeal if dismissal is deemed to be appropriate

Please be wary that the medical condition that is causing the absences doesn’t amount to a disability under the ‘Equality Act 2010’. In this case you should consider all reasonable adjustments to the job or work environment for the employee.

The decision to dismiss an employee over sickness should be considered carefully and your reasons must be clear and supported by hard evidence for your case to stand, should it result in an employment tribunal.

Policies should also be in place for time taken off for domestic emergencies, arranging care for dependents and compassionate circumstances to ensure that the system is fair for all members of staff.

E R Grove & Co are experts when it comes to payroll services, so if you are in need of any advice or need support administering sick pay and general leave be sure to consult us first.