Sickness Absence

Every employee will invariably be sick and unable to work from time to time.  But it is important to keep in contact to establish any support they need and when you can expect them to return to work. In extreme circumstances, or where you suspect the sickness my not be genuine, it may be necessary to terminate a contract of employment but you must follow a fair procedure first – do you have the correct processes in place?

Short Term Absence:

  • Discuss the problem with your employee as soon as possible and keep lines of communication open at all times
  • Monitor the absence and document the ‘calling in sick’ process.  Can the employee complete a self-certification notification or do you require a Dr’s letter?
  • Once your employee is fit to return to work, make sure you have all your ducks in a row and have conducted a thorough return to work interview
  • If necessary instigate a formal action process including warnings and dismissal, as a last resort
  • Learn from employee absence, conduct reviews and look for patterns that can help you to avoid absence in the future

Long Term Absence:

  • This is when a period of absence exceeds four weeks in duration.  In these instances an employee is required to provide medical support
  • Keep in regular contact and help to obtain medical advice that will assist in return to work
  • Avoid the risk of disability discrimination by taking your duty of care seriously and making all necessary adjustments
  • Manage return to work effectively, consider a phased return where necessary or take all the right steps to instigate dismissal on the grounds of ill health

Dismissal is always a last resort, factors that must be taken in to consideration before heading down this path include:

  • The nature and length of the illness
  • Length of service and previous record
  • Any improvement in attendance
  • The effect of absence on colleagues and the business as a whole
  • Whether there are other employment options available

Is your HR team proactive?

Top tips to ensure proactive success:

  • Have in place well designed policies and procedures to cover all business needs and eventualities and ensure every part of your business is operating like a well-oiled machine.
  • Prepare comprehensive job descriptions for every employee and evaluate regularly.
  • Set objectives / targets to provide focus for all parties on what needs to be achieved both short and long term and give feedback regularly.
  • Give praise for work well done and deal with instances of poor performance before they become a major issue.
  • Keep up to date with the latest employment legislation? And, always ensure you are exercising your duty of care towards the welfare and development of your employees.
  • Communicate with your employees and keep them informed, engaged and focussed on your strategic goals. Also, take a bottom-up approach that allows employees to voice their concerns and ideas.
  • Provide opportunities for training and career progression wherever possible.

Annual Appraisals

The success of your business relies on your employees; by getting the best from your team you get the best for your organisation.  Employees need to feel appreciated, supported and that you are invested in helping them progress their careers.   On the flip side, your business can suffer both commercial and reputational damage if issues of underperformance are not managed effectively.

Annual appraisals play a key role in helping to recognise and reward good employees, and identify and coach those whose performance or conduct is falling short of the mark.  If done correctly appraisals will reap rewards – by improving performance you will in turn boost the bottom line of your business.

Preparation, preparation, preparation?  This is without doubt the key to ensuring appraisals are constructive, meaningful and successful.   It is vital to track performance throughout the year; keep a log of any memorable incidents or projects; look back at previous appraisal information/job descriptions to ensure objectives are being met; and gather views from line managers and peers.

A good appraisal is one in which the conversation is free flowing, with range of views expressed by both parties freely and without fear of repercussion.  Evaluations should be based solely on performance, not personality, and the approach must be tailored to the individual.  Feedback should positively reinforce the good or, in the case of underperformance, help the employee understand the impact of their actions/behaviour and what corrective action needs to be taken.

A good appraiser is someone who listens to what the employee is saying, does not interrupt or inhibit the flow of conversation, pays attention to non-verbal communication such as body language, and gives feedback based on fact not subjective opinion.

Well planned and executed appraisals will help you harness the talent and aspirations of every person within your organisation, solve problems and ultimately improve performance.  Are you getting it right?