Supporting your staff member

sickness-absence-management | Occupational Health Professionals

Managing an employee's sickness absence involves several steps to ensure compliance with legal requirements, support for the employee, and ensure minimal disruption to the workplace.

Here’s LUHFT's comprehensive guide and support documentation: 

Initial Notification and Documentation

Step 1: Notification of Absence

  • Action: The employee must inform their manager as soon as possible about their absence. Please be aware of your local agreed process for this.
  • Documentation: Record the absence notification, including the date, time, and reason for the absence.
  • Support: Please see micro-learn on recording sickness absence. LINK

Step 2: Medical Certification

  • Action: For absences longer than a 7 days, the employee is required to provide a medical certificate or doctor's note.
  • Documentation: Keep all medical certifications on file.

Communication

Step 3: Regular Check-ins

  • Action: Maintain regular contact with the absent employee to check on their well-being and provide support. Please agree with the staff member how and when communication will occur. Please see guidance and support on how to have a well being conversation. LINK 
  • Action: Please send the staff member the letter supporting you through sickness absence: LINK
  • Action: Consider and discuss alternative to sickness absence if suitable. For example if the staff member can not come to work but could work from home, consider if there are temporary adjusted duties available and ensure that they have the correct equipment, training and support to complete this role. Working from home considerations is available (LINK) and DSE guidance and self assessment set up is available (LINK)
  • Documentation: Log each communication attempt and any relevant information about the employee's condition and expected return date
  • Documentation: If the reason for absence is work related stress it will be proactive to ask the employee to complete a stress risk assessment so that you can understand the reasons and support an action plan for support/ change/ improvements which will aid with return to work when able. LINK to stress risk assessment
  • Support: Training is available on Management of  Mental Health and Completing a Stress Risk Assessment. This is booked through ESR. 
  • Support: Please review the micro-learn supporting colleagues with sickness absence. LINK
  • Support: Condition profiles are available to support understanding of various conditions and how to support these conditions. LINK

Support

Step 4: Support is Available for the employee while absent to support recovery and return: Please provided the following via letter/ email for the staff member: this details resources and signposting that they can access to support their well being and help with return to work. Please inform the staff member of the following support page while they are absent LINK

Support is available from: 

  • Physiotherapy
  • Occupational therapy 
  • Psychology
  • Counselling 
  • Self directed support is available on the health and well being pages LINK
  • There are also courses available through occupational health including; 
    • Back on track course: back care course 
    • Long term condition management course

Return to Work Planning

Step 5: Fit for Work Assessment

  • Action: If applicable, request a “fit note” from the employee’s GP indicating whether they are fit to return to work, with or without adjustments.
  • Documentation: File the fit note and any recommendations for workplace adjustments (see below for support on this)

Step 6: Workplace Adjustments

  • Action: Implement any recommended adjustments to accommodate the employee’s return to work, such as phased return, modified duties, equipment or flexible hours.
  • Documentation: Document any changes made to the employee’s role or working conditions. The well-being at work action plan should be used if the staff member has a condition or any difficulties that require self management or support. This can be sent to the employee to complete and then discussed as part of their return to work interview.  
  • Support: Please see support on how to have a well-being conversation: LINK 
  • Support: Reasonable adjustments policy: LINK 
  • Support: Well-being at work action plan: LINK

Step 7: Return to Work Interview

  • Action: Conduct a return-to-work interview on the employee’s first day back to discuss their health, any concerns, and adjustments. Discuss the well-being at work action plan and agree on adjustments. 
  • Documentation: Record the details of the interview and agreed actions and future well-being conversations. 

Long-Term Absence Management

Step 8: Develop a Long-Term Absence Plan

  • Action: For extended absences, agree on communication (time frame and approach) create a structured plan for how to support the employee’s return to work when ready, which might include a phased return/ adjusted duties, additional support.
  • Documentation: Keep a written plan detailing the steps and time-line for the employee’s return. This will help to reduce anxiety and set out the support available the dates 
  • Support: A long term condition management group is available to support staff with their condition management: Please see details of this group here: LINK. If your employee would find this beneficial please email occupational.health@livepoolft.nhs.uk to book the staff member onto the next available course. 
  • Support: Training is available on ESR for managers on Enduring Health concerns and reasonable adjustments. Please book on the next available course. 

Step 9: Occupational Health Referral

  • Action: Refer the employee to occupational health for a professional assessment if needed. Guidance on completing a management referral is available here. LINK
  • Documentation: Maintain records of all occupational health reports and recommendations and discuss the report and recommendations with the staff member. 

Ongoing Monitoring and Review

Step 10: Monitor Attendance

  • Action: Continuously monitor the employee’s attendance following their return to ensure they are coping well.
  • Documentation: Keep records of attendance and any subsequent absences.

Step 11: Review Meetings

  • Action: Schedule regular review meetings to discuss the employee’s progress and any ongoing support needs.
  • Documentation: Document the outcomes of each review meeting.

Legal and Policy Compliance

Step 12: Ensure Legal Compliance

  • Action: Ensure that all actions comply with employment laws, including the Equality Act 2010 (if in the UK) or relevant local legislation regarding disability and discrimination. LINK to Equality act and health and safety at work legislation. 
  • Documentation: Keep comprehensive records to demonstrate compliance with legal requirements.

Step 13: Follow the Well being and Sickness absence Policy

  • Action: Adhere to the Well-being and sickness absence policy throughout the process. LINK
  • Documentation: Ensure all procedures and steps taken are in line with the documented policies.
  • Support: seek support from HR as required.