In last week’s blog we explored the topic of long term sick and how to approach conversations with employees to ensure you get the right balance between management and support, click here to read, https://www.bdhr.co.uk/post/how-to-support-employees-on-long-term-sick-leave.
What about when employees have the odd day here and there? Read on for how to manage those employees who have lots of short term absence.
Short term absence can be more disruptive than long term absence, at least when an employee is signed off for a long period you know the rough timescales and can plan accordingly. However, the odd day or couple of days here and there is more disruptive, whilst everyone is ill from time to time what about those employees who seem to need a few days off on a regular basis?
If you’re on top of your people MI and tracking absence, you will normally notice a pattern. The absence can take be every few weeks or every couple of months, it may be on similar days, always a Monday for example. There is also generally a theme around the type of absence, stomach issues, migraines or cold / flu symptoms.
This type of absence is difficult in small teams and for small businesses because it cannot be planned for, it is known as on the day absence. If the work still needs to be done, that means someone else has to pick it up on top of their workload. On the face of it the odd day here and there might not seem like a problem, however, the cost can soon add up and it is estimated that sickness absence costs business £100 billion per year in the UK. With Government plans to pay SSP from day one (currently there is a 3 day waiting period), this cost is likely to rise.
So, what can you? Firstly, employees should be phoning in sick, not texting or getting someone else to call (unless they are unable to call themselves). They should speak to their line manager within 30 minutes of their start time, you need to understand what the sickness is, when they think they may return and if there are any urgent tasks which need picking up in their absence.
When they return to work, carry out a return to work (RTW) interview. This should be done as soon as they come back into the workplace, including remote working, even if it has only been one days absence. You should be making sure they are well enough to return to work, asking about the symptoms, whether they sought medical advice, whether it is an ongoing issue and whether they have been prescribed any medication. You should do this after EVERY single incident of absence.
You may be reading this thinking that it seems like overkill, after all they were off with a headache! This may be the fifth occasion of absence in a three month period and it may always be with a headache. Having the information from these RTW interviews is vital as you can refer back to the notes. First and foremost you need to check on the welfare of your employees. If they are constantly off with headaches, you can ask whether they have been to the optician? Do they need glasses? Should they go to their GP and seek medical advice if they haven’t already? You need to understand whether this is an ongoing issue which may be considered a disability and whether you need to put anything in place to support them.
Your employees also have a responsibility to their health and to ensure that they are taking steps to manage their absence so they can attend work. What are they doing to make sure they are well enough to work? These meetings are your opportunity to discuss any patterns you may have noticed. For example, if they seem to be off on a Monday with headaches on a regular basis, what are they doing at weekends? Are they out a lot and having late nights, causing them to feel less than energised on a Monday morning. Now of course, it is likely that your employees will let their hair down on the weekend, this is their personal time off and they can do what they like. However, they also have a contract of employment and as such a responsibility to make sure they show up for work on Monday morning and you need to be able to have that conversation. If you have repeatedly followed up after the absences, you will have gathered the information to be able to sit down and discuss it. This conversation needs to be factual, exploratory and non-emotional. It is not about jumping to conclusions instead have a conversation about your concerns and a discussion so to how to resolve the issues moving forward.
Most absence is genuine, and most employees only have the odd day off when they genuinely need it. This is about giving you the tools to lessen the cost and impact to your business. If you understand why your employee is off on a regular basis you may be able to take steps to mitigate it. They may have an underlying condition which means they will need time off. Could you allow them to work from home on these days? Could you look at their working pattern to see if an adjustment can be made to support them.
Managing absence is about taking proactive steps to support your employees, manage workloads and manage the impact to your business and minimise the cost. Keep track of absence and talk to your employees, these steps will also mean you have consistent approach in your business. Need help contact me at bev@bdhr.co.uk.
