From time to time we all fall sick or injure ourselves, so a reasonable level of staff absence through ill health is only to be expected.
However, what do you do when a particular employee starts taking more time off through sickness than is reasonable?
It may be that they are genuinely ill but it could also be that they are swinging the lead - how do you tell the difference?
Some employers feel that their hands are tied and that they have to just put up with it. That is not the case.
It is not always straightforward and does require an investment of your time, but there are steps you can take to ensure your
employee either improves their attendance or leaves your organisation.
What if you have an employee who has serious health problems resulting in a lengthy period of sick leave? Do you have to keep them on your
books if this runs into several months? It may be that your employee has a disability in this case and you would need to ensure that you take
steps to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. However, ultimately if your employee's health is unlikely to
improve sufficiently, within a reasonable period of time, you will be able to lawfully dismiss them.
Absence management is a complex issue which provides plenty of opportunities to get it wrong. If you need help with a particular absence
issue or would to find out more about how to manage absence more generally contact us.
