Sickness Absence Policy

Table of Contents

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1.0 Introduction

1.1 This policy aims to ensure that absence related to sickness is managed in a consistent manner so that staff are supported as well as ensuring that operational and service levels are maintained throughout the organisation. 

2.0 Scope of policy

2.1 This policy applies to all employees. It does not apply to agency workers, consultants or self-employed contractors.

2.2 This policy does not form part of any employee's contract of employment, and we may amend it at any time.

3.0 The policy

3.1 About this policy

This Sickness Absence Policy sets out our procedures for reporting sickness absence and for the management of sickness absence in a fair and consistent way.

3.2 Sickness absence can vary from short intermittent periods of ill-health to a continuous period of long-term absence (for monitoring and reporting purposes long-term absences are deemed to be for periods of over 4 weeks in duration) and have a number of different causes (for example, injuries, recurring conditions, or a serious illness requiring lengthy treatment).

3.3 We wish to ensure that the reasons for sickness absence are understood in each case and investigated where necessary. In addition, where needed and reasonably practicable, measures will be taken to assist those who have been absent by reason of sickness to return to work.

4.0 Personnel responsible for this policy

4.1 The Senior Leadership Team has overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy and for ensuring compliance with the relevant statutory framework. Day-to-day responsibility for operating the policy and ensuring its maintenance and review has been delegated to the HR Team.

4.2 Managers have a specific responsibility to ensure the fair application of this policy and all members of staff are responsible for supporting employees and ensuring its success.

5.0 Disabilities

5.1 We are aware that sickness absence may result from a disability. At each stage of the sickness absence meetings procedure (set out in section 22 of this policy), particular consideration will be given to whether there are reasonable adjustments that could be made to the requirements of a job or other aspects of working arrangements that will provide support at work and/or assist a return to work.

5.2 If you consider that you are affected by a disability or any medical condition which affects your ability to undertake your work, you should inform your line manager and the HR Team.

6.0 Illness during the working day

6.1 Any employee who feels unwell at work and unable to complete their working day should notify their Line Manager prior to leaving or logging off if you are working from home. 

6.2 We will assess the situation and if the employee is on site in one of our offices, where appropriate we will send them home or to a first aider or make other arrangements.  If employees leave early, we will record this in our HR system. 

6.3 There may be occasions where a manager reasonably believes that an employee is not fit to be at work and is concerned that their health is impacting the performance of their role and/or creating a risk to themselves or their work colleagues and may therefore ask them to go home. Where this is the case, employees are required to comply with this request.

6.4 An employee who is unable to return to work the following day must follow the absence notification procedure set out below.

7.0 Sickness absence reporting procedure

7.1 If you cannot attend work because you are ill or injured, you should normally telephone your line manager in person as early as possible and no later than 10am.  If you do not wish to discuss the reason for your absence with your line manager, you can provide this information to the HR Team instead.

The following details should be provided:

a) The nature of your illness or injury

b) The expected length of your absence from work

c) Contact details

d) Any outstanding or urgent work that requires attention. 

7.2 Other than in exceptional circumstances, you should make the call notifying us of your absence yourself. It is not acceptable to leave messages with colleagues or other departments. Text messages, e-mails or use of social media are not an acceptable method of notification.

7.3 Managers should ensure that:

a)  Any sickness absence that is notified to them is recorded in the appropriate HR system and reported where appropriate to the HR Team

b)  Arrangements are made, where necessary, to cover work and to inform colleagues and clients while maintaining confidentiality

c)   All absences are updated and finalised in our HR System on the day the individual returns to work.

7.4 Employees should ensure that:

a)  All absences have been correctly recorded in our HR System on the day you return to work.

7.5 Where the return date is unknown, you must continue to keep in contact with your Line Manager every of absence to provide information on the likely duration of the absence, unless you have agreed otherwise with your line manager.

7.6 You may be to be contacted during your absence by your Line Manager and the HR Team who will want to enquire after your health and be advised, if possible, as to your expected return date.

7.7 Employees who regularly use email as part of their daily work should aim to put an appropriate “out of office” on their individual email account or arrange for their emails to be forwarded to a colleague to be dealt with.

8.0 Evidence of incapacity

8.1 On your return to work your Line Manager will discuss your absence with you in the form of a return to work interview where you will be required to complete a self-certification of absence form.  The Line Manager will then sign this form provided they are satisfied that the reasons are genuine.  We may ask for medical evidence to confirm an illness.

8.2 For absence of more than a week you must obtain a certificate from your doctor (a "Statement of Fitness for Work") stating that you are not fit for work and the reason(s) why. This should be forwarded to the HR Team as soon as possible. If your absence continues, further medical certificates must be provided to cover the whole period of absence.

8.3 If your doctor provides a certificate stating that you "may be fit for work" you should inform your line manager immediately. We will discuss with you any additional measures that may be needed to facilitate your return to work, taking account of your doctor's advice. This may take place at a return-to-work interview (see section 17 below). If appropriate measures cannot be taken, you will remain on sick leave and we will set a date to review the situation.

8.4 Where we are concerned about the reason for absence, or frequent short-term absence, we may require a medical certificate for each absence regardless of duration. We reserve the right to require you to provide a fit note, at your own cost, to cover an absence lasting less than eight days. You will be told in writing if this requirement applies to you.

8.5 You do not need a fit note to confirm that you are fit to return to work.  So, when your fit note expires, you can return to work without visiting the doctor again, unless your doctor has told you that they wish to see you again first.

9.0 Unauthorised absence

9.1 Cases of unauthorised absence will be dealt with under our Disciplinary Procedure.

9.2 Absence that has not been notified according to the sickness absence reporting procedure will be treated as unauthorised absence.

9.3 If you do not report for work and have not telephoned your Line Manager to explain the reason for your absence, your Line Manager will try to contact you, by telephone and in writing if necessary. This should not be treated as a substitute for reporting sickness absence.

10.0 Sick pay

10.1 You may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you satisfy the relevant statutory requirements. Qualifying days for SSP are Monday to Friday, or as set out in your employment contract. The rate of SSP is set by the government in April each year. No SSP is payable for the first three consecutive days of absence. It starts on the fourth day of absence and may be payable for up to 28 weeks. If you are not eligible for SSP or if your SSP entitlement is coming to an end, we will give you a form SSP1 telling you the reasons.

10.2 Any company sick pay you receive in accordance with your contract of employment will be inclusive of any SSP due for the same period.  Company sick pay will be on a pro rata basis for part-time employees or employees of fixed-term contracts.

10.3 Payment of Company sick pay depends on us being satisfied that the sick pay system is not being abused. Failure to report the reason for absence or to maintain regular contact could result in non-payment, as could repeated instances of short-term absence (where there appears to be no underlying medical reason for these) or failure to attend an occupational health appointment, if this is requested. Company sick pay (but not statutory sick pay) may also be withheld in the following circumstances:

a)  We believe that the sickness is not genuine

b)  The employee fails to share the contents of the Return to Work plan with us, or to comply with its recommendations

c)   The employee refuses to attend an occupational health assessment or medical examination

d)  If the illness/injury was sustained as a result of extreme sporting or other extreme leisure activities, or is due to alcohol/drug consumption

e)  Where the time off is to undertake surgical or non-surgical procedures that are concerned solely with the enhancement of physical appearance or any illness resulting from complications following this

10.4 In the event of the self-certification form not being countersigned by your Line Manager the absence will be treated as unauthorised and payment of Company sick pay will be withheld. Your Line Manager will note the reasons for withholding payment on the self-certification form. An employee who feels that the payment has been unfairly withheld should use our Grievance Policy & Procedure.

10.5 Any benefits under the contract of employment will continue to be provided during any period of absence.  However, we reserve the right to ask for the return of any equipment that is not a contractual benefit (such as a laptop or mobile phone,) which we may need in the employee’s absence.  These will be reinstated on return to work.

10.6 Any sick pay that has been over paid may be deducted from any future payment.

11.0 Company sick pay entitlement

11.1 The duration of paid sickness absence for permanent Clinical Partners staff is dependent on service as follows:

11.2 Calculation of sick pay

11.3 At the beginning of each period of sick leave, all paid sick leave which you have taken during the preceding 52 weeks is totalled and deducted from your full sick leave entitlement for the purpose of calculating the amount of paid sick leave entitlement remaining at that point.  The calculation for staff with less than 52 weeks service is based on their actual period of service.

11.4 If you have been on long term sick leave continuously for more than a year you will not qualify for Company sick pay again until you have returned to work for a total of 12 weeks. Where an ongoing or medical issue or degenerative condition is the cause for the absence this will be considered separately and in line with other relevant policies but only if needed.

11.5 If a period of sickness absence is or appears to be occasioned by actionable negligence, nuisance or breach of any statutory duty on the part of a third party, in respect of which damages are or may be recoverable, you must immediately notify the HR Team of that fact and of any claim, compromise, settlement or judgment made or awarded in connection with it and all relevant particulars that we may reasonably require. If we require you to do so, you must co-operate in any related legal proceedings and refund to us that part of any damages or compensation you recover that relates to lost earnings for the period of sickness absence as we may reasonably determine, less any costs you incurred in connection with the recovery of such damages or compensation, provided that the amount to be refunded to us shall not exceed the total amount we paid to you in respect of the period of sickness absence.

11.6 The existence of our sick pay scheme does not automatically entitle employees to continued employment.  An employee who cannot attend work due to sickness or injury and is incapable of doing his/her job, or whose absence is unauthorised or is deemed after medical examination to be unreasonable, may be dismissed.

11.7 Any employer and employee pension contributions will continue subject to the relevant scheme rules during any period of company sick pay or SSP.

12.0 Sick leave and holiday

12.1 If you become sick or injured while on annual leave such that you would be unfit for work you may ask us to treat the period of incapacity as sick leave and reclaim the annual leave.  However, you can only do so if you provide an applicable medical certificate/fit note to cover each day of sickness absence.

12.2 You will not be able to self-certify such absence, even if it is for less than eight days.  You must also comply with the other sickness absence reporting requirements contained in this policy. These requirements apply even if you are abroad, so for example, you should use a hotel fax/internet to send/scan applicable certificates obtained from a local doctor to us.

12.3 Any employee who falls sick on a working day directly before or after a bank or public holiday, or directly following absence for authorised holiday, will be required to produce a fit note to qualify for Company sick pay.

12.4 It is only in the most exceptional circumstances that you will be able to make a request to postpone holiday retrospectively, i.e. once you have returned to work. 

12.5 In addition, if you are seeking to postpone a holiday in this way, you will need to amend your original holiday request form in relation to the period of holiday you are seeking to postpone and obtain your line-manager’s written approval for this amendment. 

12.6 You must request to take any replacement holiday in accordance with the company’s normal holiday policy and should endeavour to take the replacement holiday in the same holiday year in which it was accrued. However, where there is good reason for not being able to do so, the company may allow the employee to carry that leave forward into the next holiday year. The company may require an employee to take all or part of his/her replacement holiday on particular days and it is not required to provide the employee with any minimum period of notice to do this, although it will aim to provide reasonable notice.

13.0 Requesting paid holiday during sickness absence

13.1 If you are absent on long-term sick leave, you can apply to take some or all of your outstanding 4 week minimum holiday entitlement under the Working Time Directive during your sickness absence. If you wish to do so, you must complete a holiday request in the normal way. We reserve the right to refuse such a request as per the Company’s normal discretion in relation to holiday requests. 

13.2 We will not accept a request to take a short period of holiday to cover short-term sickness absence.

13.3 When you take a period of paid holiday at a time when you are absent on sick leave, SSP is still payable if all the usual qualifying criteria apply.  This means your holiday pay will be inclusive of any SSP pay due to you. You will not be entitled to company sick pay and holiday pay for the same period.

14.0 Keeping in contact during sickness absence

14.1 If you are absent on sick leave you should expect to be contacted from time to time by your line manager and Human Resources in order to discuss your wellbeing, expected length of continued absence from work and any of your work that requires attention. Such contact is intended to provide reassurance and will be kept to a reasonable minimum.

14.2 Unless your line manager tells you otherwise, you should contact your line manager before 10am for each and every day of your absence.   If it becomes clear your absence is likely to become longer-term, your line manager will agree with you how frequently you need to contact the company to keep us informed of your progress.  You will normally be asked to telephone once a week.

14.3 If you have any concerns while absent on sick leave, whether about the reason for your absence or your ability to return to work, you should feel free to contact your line manager and Human Resources at any time.

15.0 Medical examinations/reports

15.1 We may ask you to attend an occupational health provider (OHP) or other health professional for assessment, or we may ask you to give us permission to seek a medical report from your own GP or other medical adviser. The circumstances in which we may make such requests include, (but are not limited to):

a)    To explore whether there is an underlying medical condition causing your sickness absence

b)    To enable us to get a clearer picture of the way your health is affecting your ability to work and how

c)    To explore whether there is anything the company can do to help you return to full normal working

d)    To make decisions about your future employment.

15.2 If you fail to co-operate in obtaining such information/reports, your case will be considered on the basis of the information we have available at the applicable time. This could include a decision as to whether or not your employment should be terminated.  A failure to co-operate with such a request will also result in your loss of eligibility for company sick pay.

16.0 Medical and dental appointments 

16.1 You should, wherever possible, arrange any hospital, doctors, dentists and similar appointments for outside working hours. If you have to attend an appointment during working hours you must get permission from your manager on each occasion. You must ask your manager as soon as the appointment is made and your manager may ask to see your appointment card.

16.2 Your manager will confirm to you when you may leave to attend your appointment and when you are expected back at work.

16.3 You may be asked to make up any time lost on appointments.

16.4 Wherever possible we will be as flexible as we can in accommodating appointments, however we reserve the right to ask an employee to reschedule a routine appointment if its timing would cause disruption to the organisation, the running of the particular department, or the completion of vital or urgent work.

Employees who have an appointment which is not at the end of the working day will normally be expected to return to work following the appointment.

16.5 Any employee who requests or takes time off work for a medical or similar appointment when such an appointment has not in fact been made; who deliberately arranges appointments at times that are clearly inconvenient for us to accommodate; or who fails to give reasonable notice of a pre-scheduled appointment, may be subject to disciplinary action.

16.6 Please note that different rules apply to time off for such appointments related to maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental leave.

16.7 If you have to attend regular appointments for continuing treatment you should talk to your manager and the HR Team to outline the circumstances.

17.0 Elective surgery

17.1 For the purposes of this policy, elective surgery is surgery that is not considered to be medically necessary or is for non-medical reasons. Examples might include vasectomies or non-cancerous moles. This provision is not intended to cover surgical or non-surgical procedures that are concerned solely with the enhancement of physical appearance (eg face lifts, breast enlargements, facial peels, teeth whitening, dental veneers etc) for which time away from work should be taken from holiday entitlement or as time off in lieu.

17.2 We accept that there may be circumstances where we wish to exercise discretion to allow time off for elective surgery depending on the individual circumstances. The employee should discuss the reason for the time off being needed and the underlying circumstances with a member of the HR Team who may authorise with the approval of the Head of Department unpaid leave, annual leave or any combination of these.

17.3 An employee who wishes to take time off for elective surgery is required to:

a)    Inform their manager as soon as the plans have been confirmed

b)    Provide a statement from a qualified medical practitioner that elective surgery has been approved and

c)    Where possible, arrange for the elective surgery at a time that will cause the minimum amount of

d)    Provide as much notice as possible of the day(s) on which the surgery will take place

Any information provided will be maintained in strict confidence. The reason for the absence will be disclosed only on a "need-to-know" basis and in consultation with the employee.

17.4 Where the outcome of the surgery results in injury or illness, our standard sick pay provisions will apply, following receipt of the relevant fit note.

18.0 Fertility treatment

18.1 Employees who need time off work to undergo fertility treatment (or because their partner is undergoing fertility treatment) should discuss this with a member of the HR Team. Time off can be taken as annual leave or, alternatively, unpaid leave may be authorised, or a form of temporary flexible working may be approved, subject to the needs of the business in consultation with the Head of Department.

18.2 Employees who need such time off should inform a member of the HR Team as soon as the plans have been confirmed; provide a statement from a qualified medical practitioner that fertility treatment has been recommended and approved; and, if requested, produce an appointment card for each occasion on which time off is required. Where possible, appointments should be made for times that will cause the minimum disruption to the working day, and we do ask that as much notice as possible is given of the days and times on which time off is required. Any information provided will be maintained in strict confidence.

19.0 Return-to-work interviews

19.1 You should notify your line manager as soon as you know on which day you will be returning to work, if this differs from a date of return previously notified. 

19.2 On the day that you return to work your line manager will meet or call you to discuss the reason for your absence, your current fitness to work and what has happened at work in your absence.  If there are any underlying problems or reasons that have caused you to take time off, which you have not already informed the company about, this is a good opportunity to discuss them. If you have not already sent us your self-certification form or fit note you should hand these in at this meeting. Information arising from such an interview will be treated with strictest confidence.

19.3 If you have been suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or illness such as rubella or hepatitis you must not report for work without clearance from your own doctor.

20.0 Returning to work from long-term sickness absence

20.1 We are committed to helping members of staff return to work from long-term sickness absence. As part of our sickness absence meetings procedure (Welfare Meetings), we will, where appropriate and possible, support returns to work by:

a)    Obtaining medical advice, including requesting an occupational health assessment or requesting

b)    Making reasonable adjustments to the workplace, working practices and working hours

c)    Considering redeployment

d)    Agreeing a return-to-work programme with everyone affected

21.0 Disciplinary policy

21.1 If the company has reason to believe that you have taken or are taking sickness absence when you are not unwell, we may invoke our disciplinary policy. We may also treat other actions and failures under this policy as misconduct for the purposes of the disciplinary policy, such as a failure to maintain regular contact and/or notify us of your absence or supply fit notes/medical certificates as stipulated.

22.0 Attendance review meetings

22.1 We may apply this procedure whenever we consider it necessary, including, for example, if you:

a)    Have been absent due to illness on a number of occasions

b)    Have discussed matters at a return-to-work interview that require investigation

c)    Have been absent for more than 14 days unless the absence is classed as long-term absence or is for a specified timescale in line with a planned absence (such as a medical procedure and normal recuperation time) or if it is for a diagnosed condition requiring a specified recovery time

22.2 Unless it is impractical to do so, we will give you 72 hours written notice of the date, time and place of a sickness absence meeting. We will put any concerns about your sickness absence and the basis for those concerns in writing or otherwise advise why the meeting is being called. A reasonable opportunity for you to consider this information before a meeting will be provided.

22.3 The meeting will be conducted by your line manager and will normally be attended by a member of the HR Team. You may bring a companion with you to the meeting.

22.4 You must take all reasonable steps to attend a meeting. Failure to do so without good reason may be treated as misconduct. If you or your companion are unable to attend at the time specified you should immediately inform your line manager who will seek to agree an alternative time.

22.5 A meeting may be adjourned if your line manager is awaiting receipt of information, needs to gather any further information or give consideration to matters discussed at a previous meeting. You will be given a reasonable opportunity to consider any new information obtained before the meeting is reconvened.

22.6 Confirmation of any decision made at a meeting, the reasons for it, and of the right of appeal will be given to you in writing within 5 working days of a sickness absence meeting (unless this time scale is not practicable, in which case it will be provided as soon as is practicable).

22.7 If, at any time, your line manager considers that you have taken or are taking sickness absence when you are not unwell, they may refer matters to be dealt with under our Disciplinary Procedure.

22.8 We retain discretion in respect of the attendance review procedure to take account of your length of service and to vary the procedures accordingly.  If you have a short amount of service, you may not be in receipt of any warnings before dismissal.

22.9 Specific information in respect to long-term absence and our Welfare meeting procedures can be found in section 28 and 29 below.

23.0 Right to be accompanied at meetings

23.1 You may bring a companion to any meeting or appeal meeting under this procedure.

23.2 Your companion may be either a trade union representative or a colleague. Their details must be given to the manager conducting the meeting, in good time before it takes place.

23.3 Employees are allowed reasonable time off from duties without loss of pay to act as a companion. However, they are not obliged to act as a companion and may decline a request if they so wish.

23.4 We may at our discretion permit other companions (for example, a family member) where this will help overcome particular difficulties caused by a disability, or difficulty understanding English.

23.5 A companion may make representations, ask questions, and sum up your position, but will not be allowed to answer questions on your behalf. You may confer privately with your companion at any time during a meeting.

24.0 Attendance review procedure

24.1 Our procedure sits alongside our Disciplinary Rules and Procedures Policy to ensure consistency of support or action in respect to any issues with regards attendance as a number of trigger levels and other potential actions are included within these stages. The procedure has the following stages:

a)    Informal counselling or caution

b)    First formal written caution

c)    Final formal written caution

d)    Dismissal

24.2 Please note that we may start the Attendance review procedure at any stage where, in our view, an employee has an unacceptable pattern of attendance. 

24.3 Before taking any formal action under this procedure we will carry out the following steps:

a)    We will hold an attendance review meeting

b)    Before the review meeting we will send you a letter setting out your attendance record and informing you of the possible outcomes of the meeting (which will depend on the stage of the procedure that is being applied)

c)    If applicable, the letter will also tell you that you have the right to be accompanied at the meeting by a companion. We will give you, (and if applicable, any permitted person that you may choose as a companion), reasonable time to consider any information we give you before the review meetings

d)    At the meeting we will discuss your attendance record and the impact it is having on the business. You will be given the opportunity to explain the reason for your absence/pattern of absence.

25.0 Trigger levels for formal action

25.1 We have set ‘trigger levels’ to help us identify unsustainable patterns of absence. It is important that you understand that a trigger level is not an entitlement to sickness absence, and you may be called to account for any level of absence. We reserve the right to change the trigger levels at any time.

26.0 Informal counselling or caution

26.1 The first ‘trigger level’ is:

a)    Two or more occasions of absence during a rolling period of six consecutive months; or Pattern of absence otherwise considered unacceptable by the company, e.g. a pattern of absences on Mondays and/or Fridays or adjacent to holiday leave or public holidays.

26.2 If your attendance record reaches the first trigger level, your line manager will ask you to a review meeting to discuss your attendance record and the reasons for it. This will also provide an opportunity to discuss any underlying factors that may be impacting on your health that may need to be taken into account.

26.3 First written caution

26.4 The second ‘trigger level’ is:

b)    Three or more occasions of absence during a rolling period of six consecutive months; or Pattern of absence otherwise considered unacceptable by the company, e.g. a pattern of absences on Mondays and/or Fridays or adjacent to holiday leave or public holidays.

26.5 If your attendance record reaches the second trigger level, and nothing was disclosed or identified at the first review meeting, your line manager will ask you to a second review meeting to discuss your attendance record and the reasons for it. If appropriate in the circumstances, you will be given a formal caution.  If your attendance record can be improved and maintained at an acceptable level, the caution will lapse after six months from the date it is issued. 

26.6 Final written caution

26.7 If, during the period of your first written caution, your attendance does not improve and, in particular, if you:

a)    Are absent again for two or more occasions in the following six month period

b)    Have a pattern of absence otherwise considered unacceptable (e.g. a pattern of absences on Mondays and/or Fridays or adjacent to holiday leave or public holidays) by the company your line manager will hold another review meeting with you to discuss your attendance record levels and the reasons for it. If appropriate in the circumstances, you will be given a final written caution.  You will be informed that, unless your attendance record can be improved and maintained at an acceptable level, dismissal may follow.  If there is a substantial and lasting improvement, the final written caution will lapse after 12 months from the date it is issued.

27.0 Dismissal 

27.1 If, during the period of your final written caution: 

a)    You are absent again for on two or more occasions

b)    Your pattern of absence is otherwise considered unacceptable by the company e.g. a pattern of absences on Mondays and/or Fridays or adjacent to holiday leave or public holidays.

27.2 We will write to you asking you to attend a further review meeting. You should be aware that, if you reach this stage, you may be dismissed (with notice).

27.3 A decision to dismiss you will only be taken by a Line Manager in conjunction with the Head of Department and the HR Team; approval will be then sought from the Chief People Officer and/or CEO.

27.4 Right of Appeal

27.5 You have the right of appeal against a formal caution or dismissal.  To appeal you should submit your grounds of appeal in writing to the HR Team within five working days of receiving the company’s written decision under this Attendance review procedure.  Your appeal should give details of why the penalty imposed is too severe, inappropriate or unfair in the circumstances.  Details of the right to appeal and the process are available in our disciplinary policy.

28.0 Management of longer-term absence and underlying medical conditions

28.1 If we are aware that you have an underlying medical condition or injury that is causing you to have frequent short-term absences or results in a long-term period of absence, we will consider how best to take this condition into account when dealing with your absence. Therefore, we encourage you to tell us as soon as you are aware of any underlying condition which may be impacting on your attendance.

28.2 Where appropriate, we will also look at whether the company can take any measures to help you improve your attendance or return to work.  

28.3 Depending on the circumstances of any frequent short-term absences, where there is an underlying medical condition, we may at our discretion choose to manage your attendance outside of the Attendance review procedure described above or adapt certain elements of the procedure. For example, we may alter trigger levels in your case or choose not to give you a caution in circumstances where you would have otherwise received one.

28.4 If your condition or an injury causes longer term absence, we will generally manage your absence outside of the Attendance review procedure. 

28.5 Whether we manage your condition within or outside the Attendance review procedure, we will usually obtain medical advice, consult with you and consider how your condition is preventing you returning to work (and consider possible adjustments that can be made to assist you in returning to work), as well as seek advice on your prognosis for recovery.

28.6 We will keep in touch with you throughout your absence and will expect you to co-operate fully in our absence management measures, including enabling us to receive medical reports and co-operating with any arrangements or measures to enable you to return to work, such as temporary adjustments to working arrangements.

28.7 There are limits to the amount of absence which the business and your co-workers can sustain and there may come a point when we will consider ending your employment, for example when, taking into account the circumstances, we believe that:

a)    We cannot reasonably hold your job open any longer

b)    We cannot reasonably sustain your level or pattern of absence

c)    There is no reasonable prospect of you resuming full duties

28.8 The company would not generally hold your job open beyond 6 months of long-term sickness absence except in unusual circumstances.

28.9 The company may terminate your employment before your sick pay entitlement has been exhausted.

28.10 Termination will normally be with full notice or payment in lieu of notice.

28.11 Where it is possible, we will meet with you formally before a decision to dismiss you is made.  Before the meeting we will send you, a letter setting out the circumstances and informing you of the possible outcome of the meeting. The letter will also tell you that you have the right to be accompanied at the meeting by a colleague.  We will give you, together with any permitted person that you may choose as a companion, reasonable time to prepare for the meeting.  If you are dismissed, you have the right to appeal against your dismissal by putting your grounds for appeal in writing to your line manager within 5 working days of receiving the company’s written decision.

28.12 If the appeal meeting takes place after the dismissal takes effect, and your appeal is upheld, you will normally be treated as having continued employment pending a hearing and will be reinstated with back pay. However, if your appeal is not successful, the original date of your dismissal will stand.

29.0 Welfare meetings

29.1 Welfare meetings will take place with those absent from work, where deemed appropriate, these will be made by your line manager and normally a member of the HR Team.  The meeting may take place at home, at work or a neutral venue should this be preferred.  The purpose of these meetings will be to discuss your on-going condition, any support you may need and possible return dates.

30.0 Phased returns to work

30.1 If you return to work on a phased basis with temporary adjustments to your hours or duties you will be paid your normal pay for the hours that you work.  If you are eligible for it and you have not yet exhausted your entitlement, you will be paid company sick pay for the days or part days when you are not working.

31.0 Absence records and monitoring

31.1 Details of employees’ health, either physical or mental, are categorised as "sensitive personal data". Health records are therefore kept securely on our HR system.  A record for each employee is kept, detailing the number of days absent, dates and reasons given. The employee and their manager may request to see their individual details at any time.  Records of any individual referrals will be retained on individual’s personal files.

31.2 Our overall absence figures and the reasons for these will be reviewed and analysed on a regular basis to identify any trends or any areas of concern. Where areas of concern are highlighted, we will investigate these to identify the causes and any appropriate action will be taken.

32.0 Review of policy

32.1 This Policy will be reviewed as required.