Sickness and sick pay: Line manager briefing on short-term sickness absence (briefing)

Overview

Frequent, persistent short-term absences can be extremely disruptive for line managers. 

This line manager briefing aims to help line managers to understand the employment laws that impact on short-term absence, their practical implications and how to manage short-term absenteeism effectively. Another briefing Line manager briefing on long-term sickness absence deals with the management of long-term sickness absence.

This briefing includes information on:

1. Rights under employees' employment contracts
2. Common causes of frequent absenteeism
3. Possible impact of workplace factors on absenteeism
   • discussing the problem with the employee
4. Monitoring short-term absences
   • initiating the procedure
   • return to work interviews
   • certification
5. Absence reviews
   • looking for patterns
6. Employees with personal or family problems
7. Suspicion that reasons given for absences are not genuine
8. Instigating formal action
9. Written warnings
10. Fair dismissal on the grounds of unsatisfactory attendance
    • (repealed) statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedures
11. Keeping records
12. Benefits of absence management
13. Test yourself

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