How to manage sickness absence
Managing sick leave can be a challenge for every employer. It is essential that businesses find the balance between supporting those employees who are genuinely sick and minimising unnecessary absences in order to reduce costs. Costs can include:
- Loss of productivity
- Cost of SSP and other company sick pay schemes
- Employing temporary cover
- Paying other employees additional overtime costs
The CIPD’s 2013 Absence Management report, found that absences levels had increased in 2013 from 2012, with an average of 7.6 days per employee. According to the report, the cost to employers averages at £595 per employee.
Managing Absences
Absence levels can be addressed by taking some simple steps:
- Sickness Policy: there should be a policy in place that clearly sets out the procedure that will be followed by both employees and management in cases of absence through illness. The policy should be clearly communicated and consistently implemented. The default company handbook in Bright Contracts contains such a policy.
- Record, Monitor & Measure: monitoring and measuring enable employers to identify trends and recognise points at which absence levels need to be further investigated.
Return to Work Interviews: these are informal meetings between a line manager and an employee on the first day the employee returns to work. Return to work interviews are consistently rated as one of the most effective methods of managing absenteeism levels and it is recommended that they should be included in all sickness absence policies. Templates and guidance on conducting return to work interviews can be found here.
Bright Contracts – Employment contracts and handbooks.
BrightPay – Payroll & Auto Enrolment Software.
