According to national statistics, the first Monday in February is the day when people are most likely to pull a sickie from work.In 2018, the first Monday in February saw an estimated 350,000 absences from work. The first payday after Christmas and people attending job interviews are thought to be a major contributor to the increase in absenteeism.

How should employers deal with absenteeism?

As a starting point, employers should ensure they have a robust sickness absence policy in order to deal with employees sickness absences fairly, reasonably and consistently.Employers should inform all staff of the sickness policy and the procedures in place to manage sickness absence. You should also ensure there is a consistent return to work policy in place which can be followed by all managers.

Recording absences

All employers should ensure they record absences in a format which allows them to easily monitor the reasons for absences and identify any absence patterns.These records can help an employer ascertain if an employee’s absences have reached a point where they now need to be addressed with that individual.

Addressing absence concerns

Where there is an issue, employers should be careful to ensure an investigation is carried out in order to determine whether or not there was a genuine reason for the absence.Importantly, checking that the issue of the employee’s absences and/or poor record of attendance is not down to some underlying health condition or problem.This can be through a return to work interview where an employer can ask for reasons for the absence and whether anything in work has contributed to the absence.

Talk to the experts at Farnworth Rose

For all employers, it is vital to receive the right legal advice to ensure you have robust policies in place to allow you to deal with all employment issues fairly, reasonably and consistently.Whether you’d like a review of your policies and procedures or advice on handling a sickness absence, the specialist employment solicitors at Farnworth Rose can provide the advice you need.To talk to the experts at Farnworth Rose today, call us on 01282 695 400.Or, if you’d prefer to arrange a call-back at a time that suits you, simply complete our online contact form here.