Sickness absence is a natural part of peoples working life and something most employees will experience at some point during their career. It can arise for a variety of different reasons including short-term illnesses, planned procedures, injuries and mental health conditions. While most absence cases are unplanned, having a robust approach to managing absence can help employers remain consistent, supportive and reduce disruption to business productivity and outputs.
Why is it important to manage sickness absence?
Effective sickness management can help reduce overall absence levels, improve company morale, increase productivity, and reduce costs. Most importantly, managing absence is not about questioning the genuineness of an employee’s sickness, instead it is about making sure employees receive the right support while ensuring the business manages attendance fairly and consistently to maintain and improve productivity.
Effective absence management relies on more than simply recording absence. Employers need clear reporting procedures, defined sick pay provisions and appropriate absence trigger points. Understanding the difference between managing short-term and long-term absence is also essential to ensure a consistent approach, support employee wellbeing and provide clear processes for addressing absence levels that become unsustainable.
What are the risks of not managing absence?
Failure to manage absence can result in increased costs to the business, reduced productivity and output, inconsistent approaches across employees and can place additional pressure and frustration on other colleagues. Employers may also face employee relations challenges, particularly in long-term sickness cases or where underlying health conditions and disabilities are involved.
How can we help?
Whether you need help creating or reviewing policies and procedures, ensuring your managers are prepared to manage absence effectively, or you need support managing a sickness case, our HR Consultants are here to help. We provide practical, tailored advice and support to help you manage absence fairly and consistently in a way that supports your business and employees.