Striking the balance between giving workers enough time off to recover and ensuring smooth business operations can be tricky. Of course, if people in your team are poorly, you want them to take the time they need. However, you still have a business to run, and it doesn’t run without people. How can you get it right and ensure the fairest outcome for everyone?
Absence management policies can go a long way in supporting you with this. An effective absence management policy ensures all workers understand their allowances and obligations, and helps managers feel confident when having difficult conversations. Check out this friendly how-to guide to learn all about what you should include in your absence management policy, how to implement it seamlessly, and some phrasing examples.
An absence management policy is a workplace policy that sets out how your business handles absence, how much sick pay workers can take, and the consequences for breaching absence triggers. Although it may seem stern, an absence management policy is actually a supportive document, offering clarity and structure for both employees and managers as they navigate workplace absences.
Absence management policies help workers plan their healthcare needs, health appointments, and manage stress. It also helps your team know their rights and responsibilities when it comes to notifying managers of sickness or absence.
Workplace absence can happen for a number of reasons, so it’s important that your absence management policy is flexible, understanding, and responsive to the diverse needs of your workforce.
There are lots of benefits to implementing an absence management policy in your business. These include:
Ready to start writing your own absence management policy? Check out this list of everything you need to include in your Absence Management policy to ensure all your bases are covered.
Consider including a section on definitions, abbreviations, and commonly used terms at the beginning of your absence policy. Although it isn’t necessary, it can help workers and managers navigate the Absence management policy with ease.
For example, phrases like Fit Note, Absence Trigger, or Return To Work can be confusing to those who aren’t accustomed to them. Equally, ACAS, CSP, ADHD, or OH may need spelling out for less experienced managers. Everyone starts somewhere, right?
Including definitions at the start of your policy ensures all managers are on the same page and feel confident having difficult conversations about absence with their workers.
The first full section of your policy should be your worker’s entitlement to sick pay. This is likely the first thing your workers will be looking for if they’re sick, and the guidance your managers are looking for if their team members are poorly.
Clearly highlight how much Company Sick Pay (CSP) and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) employees are eligible for, and the exact terms and conditions of these payments. For example:
And more. The likelihood is that you will need to update this section regularly, as you may notice frequently asked questions appearing. Updating this section with these questions will prevent workers coming to you with small questions, streamlining operations and allowing your managers and HR to get on with the important stuff.
The second most important part of your Absence Management policy is your section on absence triggers.
Absence triggers are the thresholds of sickness that workers can take before further action or intervention is required. These triggers help to identify patterns of absence, ensure that the right support is in place, and that management deals with these absences effectively.
This section of your policy should clearly state what your absence triggers are. For example,
“A stage one absence meeting will be triggered by 3 periods of absence in a 12 week period.
A stage two absence will be triggered by a further 3 absences in a 12 week period. This means a total of six absences in 24 weeks.
A stage three absence meeting will be triggered if there are a further two periods of absence in 10 weeks after this. This means a total of eight absences in 34 weeks.”
You may wish to slightly increase or reduce these triggers based on the industry, trends, and unique circumstances of your business. For example, if your whole team works part time roles in retail, eight periods of absence in 34 weeks would be extremely high. Additionally, factors like workforce demographics, operational requirements, and company culture can influence the appropriate thresholds for triggering absence meetings.
You should also have different absence triggers for cases of long term sickness. The example above would not work for an employee who has been absent for 24 consecutive weeks. Technically, this would be one period of absence, and so would not trigger an absence meeting.
Set out the triggers for both long term absence and short term absence clearly. It’s recommended you use a table style to enable workers to skim read this section. You should also include a short line that highlights your commitment to championing an inclusive culture. For example,
“These absence triggers are used as a framework to support workers and managers in reducing absenteeism. We, of course, recognise that there will be instances of absence in which these triggers are not appropriate, and managers have the right to use their discretion in assessing individual cases and providing support as needed.”
You should also include information about the likely outcomes of each meeting. Generally, a stage one absence meeting will incur a verbal warning, a stage two a written warning, and a stage three will be either a final written warning or a dismissal depending on the circumstances.
This next section should explain the exact processes and procedures workers need to follow, and the processes managers will follow when handling workplace absence. You should break this up into different sections based on the different processes. For example:
This section should explain exactly how workers should notify you of sickness. You should include:
Offering all this information in the Absence Management policy will ensure workers are clear on exactly how they should notify you of absence and what to expect in terms of communication and documentation requirements.
You should also outline the process for how managers should conduct Return To Work (RTW) interviews. This will help workers know what to expect from these interviews and give managers a framework of how to conduct them.
A RTW meeting should be conducted on a worker’s first day back after they have been absent. It is the manager’s opportunity to make sure they're feeling better, to check on their well being, and to ask if they need any adjustments or support now they’ve returned to the office. It’s also the worker’s chance to explain their reasons for absence, what support they received while they were absent, and to update their manager on any ongoing health concerns or adjustments needed for a smooth transition back to work.
Most businesses will have a standard framework or form for a RTW interview. They usually take no less than 15 minutes and should be conducted in a private setting. This ensures confidentiality for the worker and facilitates open communication.
This section should include exactly what workers can expect from the absence management process, including:
Again, you will need to regularly update this section. Addressing any frequently asked questions here will free up HR professionals and manager’s time to complete value adding tasks.
Occasionally, there will be time workers need to pre-plan their absence. For example, in cases of planned surgery, long term absence, or other instances of pre-planned sickness. This section should outline exactly how workers can pre-plan their absence, the protocol for doing this, and the necessary documentation or steps required for approval.
This section should highlight the types of documentation the business accepts as notification of absence. For example:
Be sure to outline the different support channels available to your workers. These might include Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), or other workplaces you can offer your team. In cases of stress, long term absence, or personal crisis, these resources can be invaluable and help workers get back to the office sooner than they may otherwise have.
Absence management policies can feel stern, but they’re actually a supportive and empowering tool that help leaders manage absence, engage with sick workers, and facilitate their return to work. They can also help leaders feel more confident holding absence management meetings, give workers clear instructions of supporting their own health, and make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to managing workplace absences.
Ready to simplify people management, optimise performance, and take better care of your team? To experience the impact of our comprehensive approach first-hand, book a demo now!