It’s important to establish set action points for both short-term and long-term absence as both types can cause difficulties for employers. If an employee regularly takes one day off, you won’t be able to count on them being in the office when you really need them. In the case of an employee who has been off sick for a few months, you need to know if they are likely to return in the foreseeable future and if there is anything that you can do to facilitate a return to work.
Establishing an absence monitoring culture
The first thing to do is introduce an automatic return to work interview after any period of sickness, even if it was just for one day. This should be regarded as the first step in the absence management process, where all employees are asked about their absence and how they are feeling. This gives the message that you are supportive but are also taking note of the absence on your records.
Beyond that, you will need to choose a certain number of stages at which you will take action to manage absence. Some examples are:
