Sickness absence policy and procedures

We review and take relevant action when an employee hits specific absence trigger points. These are:

• four or more episodes of absence in a rolling 12-month period
• nine working days of absence in a rolling 12-month period
• absences in a short period warranting immediate action. For example, three episodes or six working days in six months.
• a pattern of absence causing concern, for example:
  • regular Fridays or Mondays
  • absences regularly occurring on a particular day
  • pre or post annual leave
  • school holidays
  • public holidays
  • payday

Trigger points for employees working fewer than five days in a week will be pro-rata. The number of days will be pro-rata, but not the number of occasions. We calculate this using nine days divided by five, multiplied by the number of working days. When necessary, we use the average working days. For example, employees working:

• One day per week = trigger point is two working days' absence
• Two days per week = trigger point is 3.5 working days' absence
• Five days per week = trigger point is nine working days' absence

We apply this formula irrespective of the number of hours an employee works in a day. This is important if you condense your working weeks. For example, if you worked 37 hours over four days, the trigger point would be seven working days' absence.

Some employees do not work the same number of days each week. When this is the case, managers will pro-rota the trigger to an average working week. For example, if you work a nine-day fortnight, the average working week of 4.5 days would apply. Your trigger point would be eight working days' absence.

If you have annualised hours' contracts, managers will apply the nominal working week. They will make adjustments during the year if needed.

There may be many reasons why you are hitting trigger points:

• Absences may be related or unrelated.
• There is an underlying cause or illness, which is not known.
• You have family or caring issues and are reporting sick rather than requesting time off
• There is a reliability issue

Managers will explain our expectations about attendance and will support you to achieve them. We will use return-to-work meetings to:

• discuss any underlying causes of absence
• provide support
• encourage employees to improve attendance levels
• ensure you understand that we may invoke sickness absence procedure if absence levels are unsatisfactory

At all times, managers will work with you to make improvements and help you to sustain them.