Sickness absence procedure
Your manager will review your absence information when you hit a trigger point for short or long-term absence. They may refer you to the sickness absence procedure.
They will tell you if they think it is appropriate. You will have to attend absence management meetings with your manager.
For a short-term absence trigger, your manager will refer you to the sickness absence procedure. There can be circumstances when this may not apply.
For a long-term sickness trigger, managers will review the information first. They will decide whether it is appropriate to invoke the formal sickness absence procedure.
If your manager does not invoke the procedure, they must:
- maintain contact with you
- update you on any arrangements
- advise you that they may invoke it at a point in the future
Throughout this procedure, you may bring a companion who is either:
- a trade union representative
- a work colleague
- an official employed by a trade union
No other companions will be permitted to attend absence management meetings.
Your manager should make a reasonable adjustment if you have a disability. They may permit an alternative companion. You should discuss this with your manager.
You must tell your manager who your chosen companion is, at least 24 hours before the meeting.
Your manager may request an HR representative at formal meetings and will arrange a note-taker.
You can request to re-schedule a meeting if you or your companion cannot attend. It will take place within the following five days or as soon as practicable. Employees must not fail to attend the re-arranged meeting without justification. Managers can consider your case in your absence based upon the written submissions.
In cases of long-term absence, you may require a meeting venue away from your place of work. You can request an external venue or it could be your home.
Your manager will be sympathetic. They will carefully consider, in such cases, any request for a family member to be present.
Your manager will document all actions in this procedure. They will include reasons for taking or not taking action, such as:
- a referral to occupational health for an assessment
- signposting an employee to the employee support and counselling service
- implementing of reasonable adjustments
Stage 1
Your manager will arrange a Stage 1 absence management meeting. They will give you a minimum of five working days' notice in writing. They will include any documents relevant to your case, such as:
- your absence record form
- any letters or correspondence previously sent to you
- notes of discussions with you about your absence levels
- any medical evidence
Your manager will advise you that:
- the purpose of the meeting is to review your unsatisfactory attendance level
- a possible outcome of the meeting is to move to a formal review period
If you are on long-term absence, your manager will contact you to agree on a date, time and location for the meeting. They will confirm this in writing.
If you do not respond or cooperate, your manager may arrange the meeting without your agreement.
The meeting aims to:
- establish how you are doing and the likely length of your absence
- consider the advice in your 'fit note' or medical report
- discuss what steps we can take to assist you in returning to work, such as:
- a phased return
- amending your job duties
- altering your hours of work
- workplace adaptations
- explain your sick pay entitlements
- confirm when the next contact will take place
Stage 1 outcome
After the meeting, your manager will confirm all agreed decisions in writing. Possible outcomes may be:
- no further action
- a referral to occupational health and a follow-up meeting with the manager
- adjustments to your role, hours, duties, work or location. We will consider reasonable adjustments if you have a disability, as defined by the Equality Act 2010. We may also refer you to occupational health.
- your manager sets a review period and defines the required level of improvement. This is usually two months, but they may extend it for up to four. Throughout the review period, your manager will monitor your absence levels.
Your manager could decide not to move you to a formal review period. For example, if there are extenuating reasons for the absences.
If your manager decides to take no further action, they will confirm this in writing. They will provide you with an explanation for the decision.
Usually, your manager will set you a formal review period to improve your absence levels. They will confirm this formal review period in writing.
At the end of your review period set, your manager will review your absence levels.
If they have improved to the satisfaction of the manager, they may take no further action. They will confirm this in writing.
If you have not made a satisfactory improvement, your manager will move to Stage 2. They will send a written notification of your Stage 2 absence management meeting.
In cases of long-term absence, the appropriateness and length of a review period will depend on:
- individual circumstances
- the reasons for absence
- likely return to work
- medical advice
- available support
Throughout your absence, your manager will keep in regular contact with you. Their efforts to support you returning to work will continue. They will also consider reasonable adjustments and medical advice.
Stage 2
Your manager will arrange a Stage 2 absence management meeting. They will give you a minimum of five working days' notice in writing. They will include any documents relevant to your case, such as:
Stage 2 follows the same steps, outcomes and written notifications as Stage 1.
At the end of your review period set, your manager will review your absence levels.
If they have improved to the satisfaction of the manager, they may take no further action. They will confirm this in writing.
If you have not made a satisfactory improvement, your manager will move to Stage 3. They will send a written notification of your Stage 3 absence management hearing.
Stage 3
A senior manager with authority to dismiss will arrange your Stage 3 absence management hearing. At the meeting will be:
- the chair (usually the head of service from the service area concerned or someone at an equivalent or higher level)
- if requested by the chair, a second senior manager (from the service area concerned or an alternative area)
- an HR representative to provide advice on policy and procedure (to the panel members)
The panel will be supported by:
- a note-taker or MS Teams recording facility, to be determined by the chair
The manager who attended stage 1 and 2 meetings will attend the hearing to:
- provide evidence of actions taken to date
- describe previous discussions
- describe support provided
As previously advised, you may bring a companion who is:
- a trade union representative
- a work colleague
- an official employed by a trade union
The senior manager will:
- provide ten calendar days' notice of the hearing
- provide all relevant documentation for consideration
The panel will consider:
- all the facts concerning your absence record
- actions taken to date to improve these levels
- any information you submit
- any relevant and up-to-date advice from occupational health or other medical advisers
In long-term absence cases, a senior manager will arrange a Stage 3 hearing when:
- occupational health advice is that you are unable to return for a prolonged period
- occupational health advice does not recommend redeployment
- they explore all reasonable steps to assist you in returning to work. For example:
- a phased return
- amending your job duties
- altering your hours of work
- workplace adaptations
- they discuss with you the possibility of dismissal, including ill-health retirement
The senior manager will consider all reasonable steps in managing your absence. Only then will they start the processes to dismiss while you are on long-term absence.
These could include:
- consulting with you
- seeking medical advice
- considering redeployment
- retirement due to ill health
The possible outcomes of a Stage 3 hearing are:
- a further review period, usually for two months but no more than four
- reasonable adjustments with a further review period
- redeployment
- dismissal
- permanent ill-health (PIH) retirement
The panel will reconvene a hearing at the end of any new review period. It will determine if absence levels have improved and whether or not to take further action. Dismissal may be an outcome at this stage.
Escalation to stage 3 hearing
Occupational health may advise that you are:
- eligible for permanent ill-health retirement
- unfit to return to your post for a prolonged period due to an underlying health condition
- not suitable for redeployment
In such cases, your manager may escalate to a Stage 3 hearing without the need for a Stage 1 or 2 meeting. They must get advice from HR before considering this.
Extension of review periods
Your manager can extend your review period to up to four months at the time they set it. They can extend it again after the initial review period to allow you more time to improve.
12-months' live' monitoring period
If your absences improve to the required level, your manager may take no further action. They will encourage you to sustain this. You will enter a 12-month 'live' monitoring period, starting when the review period ends.
Your manager will review your absence record if:
- you have further absences within 12 months, and
- on a 12-month rolling basis, your absences hit our trigger points
Your manager will decide whether:
- you re-join the procedure at the stage you were at when the action ceased
- to apply a further review period
Appeals
You have the right to appeal against dismissal under this procedure. We must receive this within five calendar days from the date that the employee is deemed to have received the letter confirming outcomes from the stage 3 hearing. Additionally, confirmation of the intent to appeal must confirm the grounds of appeal. The employee will then have a further five calendar days to:
- submit documentation
- identify who, if anyone, will represent them at the hearing and provide their contact details
To find out more, read our appeals policy.