Absence Management To be used in conjunction with the 1st Class HR ‘Absence Management’ Management Guide available at

This session focuses on the practical steps that an organisation can take to promote positive attendance.

Learning Objectives To learn how to measure and manage absence effectively To understand the roles and responsibilities of staff and managers To learn how to develop and implement an absence management policy effectively To understand the legal context

Managing absence effectively Effective absence management involves finding a balance between providing support to help employees with health problems stay in and return to work and taking consistent and firm action against employees who try to take advantage of organisations’ policies and sickness pay schemes.

Managing absence effectively There are many reasons why people take time off work. These can be categorised as: short-term sickness absence long-term sickness absence unauthorised absence or persistent lateness other authorised absences, e.g. annual leave; maternity, paternity, adoption, or parental leave; time off for public duties.

Line manager responsibilities Line managers are responsible for monitoring and managing absence levels in their teams / departments, and for ensuring that potential problems are recognised and resolved at an early stage. They should: 1.report all absences correctly 2.clearly record and monitor all activities associated with managing the employee’s absence, including telephone calls, visits and referrals to Occupational Health appointments 3.communicate regularly and openly 4.conduct return-to-work interviews 5.offer reasonable adjustments and support 6.involve occupational health professionals when appropriate 7.initiate disciplinary proceeding when absence levels are unacceptable

Staff responsibilities Employees have a duty under their terms and conditions of employment to be at work and must ensure they adhere to their responsibilities. 1.report absence as early as possible to their line manager 2.make contact personally by telephone, not by text or 3.provide the following information to their line manager when they report their absence: when they became ill the broad nature of the illness whether the illness is due to an accident or injury at work whether they will be seeking medical attention the likely date of return (if known) 4.obtain a Fit Note from a GP (after 8 calendar days) and provide this to the line manager 5.follow medical advice / treatment in order to facilitate a prompt return to work.

Measuring absence effectively Accurate measurement and monitoring of absence is a critical part of managing it effectively, and allows an employer to identify trends and causes for concern. It also allows employers to understand and address the overall cost of absence and its impact on the business.

Tools to measure absence Time lost ratio expresses the percentage of total time available which has been lost due to absence total absence (hours or days) divided by total possible (hours or days) in the period X 100 e.g. 2 (days) / 5 (days) X 100 = 40%

Tools to measure absence Frequency ratio shows the average number of absences per employee expressed as a percentage number of spells of absence in the period divided by the number of employees X 100 e.g. 3 (spells) / 10 (employees) X 100 = 30%

Tools to measure absence Bradford factor by measuring the number of spells of absence the Bradford Factor identifies persistent short-term absence for individuals and is therefore a useful measure of the disruption caused by this type of absence number of spells of absence in a period x number of spells of absence in a period x number of days of absence in a period (or A x A x D) e.g. 2 three day absences: 2 x 2 x 6 = 24 OR 3 two days absences: 3 x 3 x 6 = 36.

What should be in an effective policy? responsibilities of line managers and employees when an absence occurs description of the culture of the organisation, i.e. supportive, sensitive and compassionate provision for occupational sick pay and/or statutory sick pay what and when information will be required and recorded explanation that the organisation reserves the right to require employees to attend an examination by a company doctor and (with the worker’s consent) to request a report from the employee’s doctor provisions for return-to-work arrangements, including a return-to- work interview and reasonable adjustments where applicable how and when the disciplinary (or other) policy will be used to manage absence

Implementing the policy Always adopt a consultative approach to developing and implementing a policy… This means talking to staff and managers, seeking their input and being flexible to adapt the policy to meet the needs of the organisation and the requirements of staff. The policy is more likely to be received well, properly understood and will therefore work better in practice. You can achieve this by holding focus groups/briefings and training sessions with staff and managers.

The legal context It is important that all line managers responsible for managing absence are aware of and understand the requirements of an employer as set out in the following legislation: Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (HSWA) 1974 The Employee Rights Act 1996 Data Protection Act 1998

Promoting good health and wellbeing TOP TIP… Establish a culture where the health and wellbeing of staff is promoted pro-actively so that employees feel enthusiastic about coming into work. This can be achieved through initiatives such as: Staff sporting / competitive activities Subsidised fruit and drinking water facilities Annual ‘wellbeing week’

Learning Outcomes You are now able to… measure and manage absence effectively develop and implement an absence management policy effectively You now know/understand… the roles and responsibilities of staff and managers the legal context

Thank you For more information about absence management, including a sample policy and procedure, go to Or call on