MANAGING ABSENCE

It is the responsibility of the Manager to maintain individual employee records of

lateness and absence and include in such records the relevant dates, times, duration
and reasons for any such absence.

The Manager must regularly check levels of absence and lateness so that problems
can be spotted and addressed at an early stage.

Frequent and Persistent Short-Term Absence

In cases of unauthorised frequent and persistent short-term absence, the Manager

should take the following steps:

• Where there is no medical advice to support frequent self-certified absences,

the employee should be asked to consult a doctor to establish his medical
condition, whether medical treatment is necessary and whether the underlying
reason for absence is work-related. Such a medical report will require the
employee's permission.

• If after investigation, it appears that there were no good reasons for the
absences, the matter should be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.

• If the absences were due to sickness and are likely to continue, the employee
should be kept fully informed if, in the judgement of the Manager and based
upon the medical evidence, their employment is at risk.

• Where absences arise from temporary domestic problems, the Manager in

deciding appropriate action, should consider whether an improvement in
attendance is likely.

• In all cases, the employee should be told what improvement in attendance is

expected and warned of the likely consequences if this does not happen.

• If there is no improvement, the employee’s performance, likelihood of a change

in attendance, the availability of suitable alternative work and the effect of past
and future absences on departmental operations should all be taken into
account in deciding appropriate action.

Longer Term Ill-Health Absence

In cases of longer term ill-health absence the following should be observed:

• The employee should be contacted periodically and in turn should maintain

regular contact with the Manager.

• The employer will ask the employee’s GP when a return to work is expected
and what type of work the employee will be capable of. A full medical report
should be requested upon completion of the employee's sick pay entitlement.

• On the basis of the GP's report, the Manager should consider whether
alternative work is available. The Manager is not expected to create a special
job for the employee concerned, nor to be a medical expert, but to take action
 on the basis of the medical evidence.

• Where there is reasonable doubt about the nature of the illness or injury, the
employee should be asked if they would agree to be examined by the company
doctor.

• Where an employee refuses to co-operate in providing medical evidence or to

undergo an independent medical examination, the employee should be told in
writing that a decision will be taken on the basis of the information available and
that it could result in dismissal, with notice and the right of appeal.