Manage absence and sickness

Introduction

Managing absence problems as disciplinary issues

Where an employee is often absent or late for unexplained/unconvincing reasons, you may wish to take disciplinary action.

Be aware though that sickness, domestic problems or travel difficulties may not necessarily amount to misconduct. In cases of genuine sickness, disciplinary action should not be taken. See our page in this guide on employee illness as a performance issue .

Prior to taking disciplinary action, you could:

• ask absent employees to phone in at a given time each day
• ensure line managers follow up any unexplained absence
• conduct return-to-work interviews

Where employees are finding it difficult to manage home and work responsibilities, consider introducing flexible working arrangements. Note that parents of children under six - or 18 for a disabled child - have a right to request flexible working. You must consider such requests seriously - see our guides on maternity, paternity and adoption: an overview and the benefits of flexible working .

Disciplinary procedures

The employee should - except in the most serious of cases - be given an opportunity to improve. Usually warnings, both oral and written, are sufficient.

If the situation does not improve, you may have to consider dismissal, but only as a last resort and after proper and fair procedures have been followed. See our guide on handling discipline and grievance issues .

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• The need for absence and sickness policies and procedures
• Basic principles of managing absence and sickness
• Measuring and monitoring absence and sickness
• What to include in absence and sickness policies
• Employee illness as a performance issue
• Managing absence problems as disciplinary issues

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