Revised Sickness Absence Policy

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Revised Sickness Absence Policy
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Major Revisions

• Introduction of Absence Co-ordinators
• Compulsory Return to Work meetings
• Increased Human Resources Role
• Monthly Sickness Absence reports
• Amended Trigger Points and review meetings
• Amended Flowchart

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Areas that remain unchanged

• Patterns of Absence
• If an employee's attendance pattern is such that
  it can be reasonably considered that there is
  deliberate abuse or manipulation of the
  University's absence procedure or sickness
  payment entitlements then that matter may also be
  treated as misconduct and will be investigated
  appropriately

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Role of Staff

• Attend work regularly at the times required
• Report sickness absence to line manager on first
  day of absence
• Failure to make contact

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Information Required on First day of Absence

• Reason for Absence
• Anticipate attending Doctor
• Likely duration

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Contact During Absence

• 4th Day absence contact Line Manager
• 8 or more days absence make contact with line
  manager again
• Home Visits

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Sickness Certificates

• Return to work before 8th consecutive day Self
  Certify Appendix 3
• Absence in excess of 7 consecutive days Doctors
  Certificate
• Failure to follow reporting Certification may
  lead to Disciplinary Action

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Role of Line Managers

• Have a Responsible for managing absence within
  their defined area to
• Ensure contact procedures are followed by all
  members of staff
• Ensure reason for absence is recorded
• Discuss sickness absence with members of staff
  after periods of absence
• Take appropriate action in accordance with the
  provisions of the policy
• Analyse absences, paying particular attention to
  the frequency and patterns of absence

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The Return to Work Meeting

• Line Managers will hold a return to work meeting
  with the employee after a period of sickness or
  disability-related absence
• On the day of return to work
• Complete Appendix 3 Sickness Absence Form (SAF)

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Role of Human Resources

• Advice and support in the application of the
  Policy in individual cases
• Maintaining records of all absence
• Monthly statistical management information to
  assist in monitoring
• Review absence levels both of individuals and
  within sections to ensure consistency of
  treatment.
• Meet with HoD on a Regular basis to review
  attendance levels

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Monthly Sickness Absence Reports

• Human Resources will provide sickness absence
  reports to management on a monthly basis.
• Number of absences in a rolling 12 month period
• Reason for each absence
• Length of each absence in working days only
• Self-certified or authorised by a doctors
  certificate
• Cumulative number of working days absence in the
  year
• Total Absence score for reporting period

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Short term Absence

• Short-term absences are defined as those which
  cumulatively last for less than 20 working days
  within a rolling 12 month period.
• The manager shall review absence levels on a more
  formal basis when, in any 12 month rolling
  period, a threshold index of 45 is exceeded.

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Trigger Points

• Example 1
• 5 days 5 days 5 days 15 days x 3 occasions
  of absence 45 (on threshold)
• Example 2
• 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1
  day 7 days x 7 occasions of absence 49 (
  above threshold of 45)
• Example 3
• 3. days 2 days 3 days 8 days x 3 occasions
  24 (below threshold of 45)

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Stage 1 - 1st Sickness Absence Review Meeting

• Review attendance record during the relevant
  period
• Opportunity to discuss any problems or raise any
  concerns
• Decide whether any further action
• Referral to Occupational Health
• To set a target for improvement
• To set a period over which absence levels will be
  monitored
• To inform the member of staff that if attendance
  does not improve within the time period being
  monitored, a 2nd Sickness Absence Review meeting
  will be held

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Action Taken Form (ATF) (Appendix 4)

• The outcome of this meeting may be one of the
  following
• No Further Action
• Monitoring, follow up meeting
• Referral to Human Resources
• Referral to Occupational Health (via Human
  Resources)
• Referral to Equality and Diversity Services
• An agreed target for improvement and a period
  over which absence levels will be monitored
• Other..

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Stage 2 - 2nd Sickness Absence Review Meeting

• Review attendance record during the relevant
  period
• Review the support offered in achieving the
  required level of attendance
• Opportunity to discuss any problems or raise any
  concerns
• Review Occupational Health advice that has been
  received
• To set a target for improvement a period over
  which absence levels will be monitored
• To inform the member of staff that if attendance
  does not improve a 3rd Sickness Absence Review
  meeting will be held.
• To give the member of staff an opportunity to
  disclose a disability

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Action Taken Form (ATF)

• The outcome of this meeting may be one of the
  following
• No Further Action
• Monitoring, follow up meeting
• Referral to Human Resources
• Referral to Occupational Health (via Human
  Resources)
• Referral to Equality and Diversity Services
• An agreed target for improvement and a period
  over which absence levels will be monitored
• Other..

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Improvement at stage 2

• If, after a period of satisfactory improvement
  based on the targets set at stage 2 the
  individual's absence levels then exceeds a
  threshold index of 45, within a 12 month rolling
  period (repeated short term absence), Stage 2 of
  the Sickness Absence Policy will be repeated.

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Non Improvement at Stage 2

• If during the specified monitoring period
  following the 2nd Sickness Absence Review
  meeting, absence exceeds the improvement target
  this will trigger a 3rd Sickness Absence Review
  Meeting.
• The meeting will be with the Head of Department
  and a representative of the HR Consultancy Team.

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Stage 3 - 3rd Sickness Absence Review Meeting

• Review attendance record during the relevant
  period
• Review support offered to achieving the required
  level of attendance
• Opportunity to discuss any problems or raise any
  concerns,
• Review Occupational Health advice that has been
  received
• To inform the member of staff that his/her job
  may be at risk if their attendance levels do not
  improve
• To issue a final caution, set a target for
  improvement and a period over which absence
  levels will be monitored
• To give the member of staff a further opportunity
  to disclose a disability

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Improvement at Stage 3

• If, after a period of satisfactory improvement
  based on the targets set at stage 3 the
  individual's absence levels then exceeds a
  threshold index of 45, within a 12 month rolling
  period (repeated short term absence), Stage 3 of
  the Sickness Absence Policy will be repeated.

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Non Improvement stage 3

• A Final Caution
• If it has been decided not to issue a final
  caution, but to extend the monitoring period, the
  individual's sickness absence pattern will be
  monitored over an appropriate, specified period.

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Stage 4 - Final Absence Review Meeting

• If during the specified monitoring period
  following the issue of a final caution, absence
  exceeds the improvement target this will trigger
  a Final Sickness Absence Review meeting. The
  meeting will be held in accordance with the
  relevant disciplinary policy for the staff
  category under consideration which may result in
  dismissal.

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Employee Telephones in sick
Complete Part 1 Sickness Action Form (SAF
Appendix 3)
HR Monthly Report 45 Threshold Exceeded
Employee returns to work
Complete Action Taken Form AFT Appendix 4
1st Stage absence meeting
Stage 1 -Target not met
Exceeds 45 12 month period repeat stage 2
Line Manager and Employee meet. Complete Part 2
Sickness Action Form (SAF Appendix 3)
Complete Action Taken Form AFT Appendix 4
2nd stage absence meeting
Stage 2 -Target not met
Exceeds 45 12 month period repeat stage 3
3rd Stage absence meeting
Final Caution
Stage3 - Target not met
Dismissal
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Long Term Absence

• Sickness absence in excess of four weeks
• Referral to Occupational health
• Maintaining contact
• First stage, Second stage and Non
  Improvement/Final Review

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Role of Occupational Health

• Specialist advice
• Case Management
• Referral

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Equality Diversity ServicesEquality and
Diversity Services will liaise with a disabled
member of staff and their line manager where
necessary to ensure that reasonable adjustments
are addressed.