XpertHR conference on managing absence, sickness and stress

The XpertHR conference on Managing absence, sickness and stress will give you the legal and practical knowledge that you need to reduce absence rates and bring employees on sick leave back into productive work. 

To help you get the most out of the conference, we highlight just some of the material on this subject available on XpertHR – including legal guidance, line manager briefings, frequently asked questions, and practical guidance in the form of both "how to" guides and good practice guides. 


Training to get the most out of XpertHR

Are you getting the most out of XpertHR? If not, we can provide training to help you understand XpertHR’s content, functions and capabilities. Training sessions can be tailored to suit your specific needs and there are a number of ways in which we provide this service:

  • One to one (via telephone)
  • A conference call for your team
  • Group presentations
  • Attending HR meetings

To request training for yourself or a colleague please email: training@xperthr.co.uk


Practical guidance from the XpertHR "how to" service


How to deal with employees on long-term sickness absence Guidance on how this type of situation can be dealt with effectively and when a subsequent dismissal on these grounds might be fair and not discriminatory. 

How to manage cover for long-term sickness absence Guidance on managing cover for long-term sickness absence. 

How to deal with an employee with a poor sickness absence record Guidance on dealing with an employee with a poor sickness absence record including advice on: the necessary legal considerations; investigating the medical position; and consulting with the employee. 

How to deal with sickness that occurs during or just before a period of holiday The XpertHR "how to" service explains how to deal effectively with sickness that occurs during or just before a period of holiday taking into account recent decisions by the European Court of Justice. 

How to deal with an employee who goes off sick during a disciplinary process The XpertHR "how to" service outlines the issues that need to be considered when dealing with an employee who goes off sick during a disciplinary process. 

How to obtain and use medical reports on employees Practical guidance for employers when obtaining a medical report on an employee, including an explanation of the employer's legal obligations. 

How to prevent claims of workplace stress Guidance on practical steps that employers can take to prevent personal injury and disability discrimination claims arising from workplace stress. 


Practical guidance from the XpertHR good practice section


Attendance management The XpertHR good practice section includes a guide on attendance management which covers, among other things, measuring absence, attendance review meetings, warnings for unsatisfactory attendance levels, data protection and return-to-work interviews. 

Sickness absence management The XpertHR good practice section also includes a guide on sickness absence management, which includes guidance on workplace measures to prevent ill health and promote wellbeing, using occupational doctors, employee assistance programmes, fit notes and rehabilitation after a period of sickness absence. 


Frequently asked questions


The XpertHR FAQs section provides answers to commonly asked questions on a wide range of topics. 

Questions on absence and sickness include:


We are always interested to hear your feedback on our resources, and welcome suggestions for further articles that could be added to XpertHR. If there's a question that you would like to see answered on the site, use the Suggest tab in the FAQs section to submit your idea. 


Legal guidance on absence, sickness and stress

Work-related stress: overview Elizabeth Stevens of Steeles (Law) LLP looks at why employers need to be alert to the signs of work-related stress. 

Fit notes: clean bill of health? Long-term sickness absence is one of the most complex and expensive issues facing HR professionals in the UK. Daniel Thomas asks if the new fit-note system will help cure the UK’s sickness absence problem. 

Work-related stress: supporting employees Elizabeth Stevens of Steeles (Law) LLP looks at ways in which employers can support employees who may be suffering from work-related stress. 

Short-term sickness absence: overview Sue Nickson, partner and chief operating officer, Hammonds, looks at the measures employers need to take to deal with employees suffering from stress. 

Remember, if you come across any article on XpertHR that you want to draw to the attention of a colleague, every article has a link to the right of the screen enabling you to "email this item to a colleague". Click on the link, enter the email address of your colleague, and press send. Your colleague will receive the document in full, making this an ideal tool when delegating work. Alternatively, you can email the article to yourself as a reminder. 


Line manager briefings

The XpertHR line manager briefing section includes a Line manager briefing on short-term sickness absence and a further briefing on long-term sickness absence. They cover: reviewing absences, obtaining medical evidence, keeping in touch with the absent employee, avoiding disability discrimination, managing the employee's return to work and dismissal on the grounds of ill health. 


More absence, sickness and stress articles on XpertHR

Run these saved searches for further articles on XpertHR relating to aspects of absence, sickness and stress addressed by the XpertHR conference:
Fit notes
Long-term sickness absence
Sporadic absence
Depression
Occupational health