Sickness absence in the work place can be a huge problem for business and a headache for managers and supervisors who have to deal with the form filling, monitoring, return to work interviews etc. In fact sickness absence in the UK currently stands at around 8.4 days* per employee!
The cost of this absence is a real concern for many organisations, having a direct impact on the bottom line, not to mention the indirect costs, including: SSP, loss of morale and the cost of administering/managing absence.
Absence levels can be minimised through effective absence management. We would recommend organisations ensure they have a comprehensive policy in place, and this coupled with active management, including return to work interviews will have a very significant effect.
Recent research shows that the single most effective way of dealing with sickness absence is by undertaking a return to work interview. If they know you know, then they will think more carefully about taking a sickie!
* 2007 CIPD survey
I have a member of staff who is always taking the odd day off sick. The reasons given are usually colds, flu, stomach bug, you name it they've had it! Can I discipline them?
Firstly, take a look at the sickness history and if you have it, the return to work interview documentation. Is there anything that tells you that there is an underlying illness or shows a pattern of absence e.g. Monday and Fridays once a month. If there is nothing underlying and after all your efforts the absenteeism still persists then this can be dealt with as a disciplinary issue, in accordance with your Company policy.
I have a pregnant member of staff who is currently being signed off sick by her GP with a pregnancy related illness. The sick pay has run out, but she thinks I should continue to pay, as she is pregnant. Is this right?
No, there have been some revised recent rulings that have reversed previous decisions on this subject. Thankfully there is now no legal obligation on the employer to extend or reinstate pay unless your Company's sickness policy states otherwise.
What happens if an employee doesn't provide correct certification even when asked?
Individuals can self certify for up to 7 days. After this date you can insist that they provide a GP certificate confirming the reason for absence. If a member of staff doesn't produce a GP certificate then it may be appropriate to treat the absence as unauthorised and withhold payment.
Is there anything I can do to better manage staff sickness levels?
Absolutely, start by making sure you have a comprehensive sickness management policy in place, the staff handbook is a good place to reference this. Ensure that Managers and supervisors have sufficient training to tackle absences. An HR Audit may help provide information as to why the business is experiencing higher than average levels of absenteeism and will identify ways in which this can be tackled.
|
