From understanding the causes of short-term absence to creating effective absence management policies and procedures, this blog explores how to manage short-term sickness absence and provides practical tips and guidance to help HR do so effectively.

Managing employee absence, particularly short-term sickness absence, can be a challenging task. Although it’s inevitable that your workforce will occasionally need to take time off due to sickness, managing absence effectively can help minimise its impact on your organisation’s productivity and profitability.

Timely intervention is crucial for managing employee absences effectively. Employers and HR professionals can sometimes make the mistake of avoiding the pro-active management of sickness absence, which can create more challenges in the future, so promptly addressing and monitoring absences may in the long run save you time and resources.

How to manage short-term sickness absence

Short-term sickness absence should be dealt with in line with your sickness absence management policy and procedure. Having a well-defined policy in place and following it consistently can help you deal with absences fairly and efficiently while minimising legal risks.

It will also make employees aware of the standards of attendance that you expect from them, which may make employees think twice about calling in after a particularly hectic weekend (particularly if you implement as part of your policy a return-to-work interview primarily to check on their welfare after every absence).

The point at which you begin to manage attendance levels will normally be dictated by your absence management procedure and is normally commenced after a period of absence that results in the employee reaching your policy’s trigger point.

To start the procedure, you should hold an investigation into the absence concerns. It’s important to:

• Discuss your concerns regarding the level of absence;
• Go through the employee’s attendance record to ascertain the reasons for the absences;
• Ask if there is an underlying reason or condition impacting the employee’s attendance at work; and
• If appropriate, discuss what support is needed and can be offered.

If this is the first time you have had to discuss the employee’s attendance, an informal letter of concern that outlines your expectations and improvement targets may suffice (ensuring that any support that has been offered is put in place to allow those expectations and improvements to be made). However, you should make it clear that failure to meet these expectations may result in formal action.

If this is a recurring issue, you may wish to proceed to a formal meeting that could result in a formal outcome.

Again, you must ensure that any warning issued is accompanied by implementing the support that has been agreed with an appropriate timescale and suggestions for improvement, together with details of the action the employer may take if there is no improvement within this timeframe.

The importance of return-to-work interviews

Employers shouldn’t wait for absence levels to become problematic. Return-to-work interviews are a crucial part of absence management and their importance should not be underestimated. These interviews provide an opportunity for you to raise any concerns and explore if there are any underlying reasons for the employee’s absence, such as health-related or work-related issues.

Additionally, as mentioned above, return-to-work interviews can act as a deterrent to future absences. By showing employees that you are actively monitoring the situation, it can discourage them from taking unnecessary absences or “pulling a sickie” in the future.

How to deal with an employee who you suspect may be ‘pulling a sickie’

If you have concerns that an employee is lying about or exaggerating their illness or injury to avoid attending work:

• Ask them if they can provide any medical evidence – this is difficult if they have only been off for a couple of days with a minor illness, but if they claim to have been in hospital, they will likely have discharge paperwork.
• Consider the timeline. Had the employee requested the day off as a holiday, but had it rejected? Was there a deadline for a piece of work they may not have wanted to face?
• Get statements/evidence. Colleagues will often raise that they spotted the employee down the pub or saw on social media that they were away on holiday, at a house party, etc. during their absence. Obtain the screenshots or messages to use within your investigations.
• Investigate with the employee on their return to work.

Be careful not to jump to conclusions or make assumptions when dealing with employee sickness absence as this can undermine trust and confidence and could result in a constructive dismissal claim from the employee. Keep in mind that an employee who is absent due to illness may still be able to leave their home for non-work-related activities, such as running errands or visiting family. However, if an employee claims to have an illness that would prevent them from leaving their home and is observed in public places such as a bar or restaurant, this may require further investigation.

If you do have evidence to support the case that the absence may be bogus, you should deal with the matter under your disciplinary process rather than the absence management procedure.