How employers train line managers in absence management

Training line managers in absence management pays dividends, according to research by IRS, with most employers seeing absence rates cut as a result of organising courses in this area.

On this page:
Structure of a typical absence management training course
Training is more effective when it is compulsory
Courses aim to ensure managers take responsibility for absence management
Topics covered by absence management courses
Return-to-work interviews
Absence policies and trigger points
Recording and monitoring absences
Cost of absence to the organisation
Case management
HR takes the lead in delivering absence management training
Conventional training methods remain popular
Budgeting for courses
Not all courses are evaluated
Courses lead to improvements in absence rates and managers’ performance
Reasons why absence management training is not offered to line managers
Our research
Table 1: Employers’ aims for their absence management training courses
Table 2: The content of employers’ absence management courses
Table 3: Types of trainers used to deliver employers’ absence management courses
Table 4: The methods used to deliver absence management training
Table 5: The impact of absence management training on absence levels
Table 6: The main reported benefits of absence management training
Additional resources on XpertHR.