I have a member of staff who frequently claim they are sick and can’t come to work; this is often on an intermittent basis involving one or two days at a time which is impossible to plan for. On examination, there is a frequently a pattern to this absence which makes it even more exasperating. For example on a Monday following their weekend off, or immediately after a holiday. Can I do anything about this?
Even if there is no obvious pattern, there are staff who frequently take days off sick, and their colleagues are expected to cover for them with all the stresses and strains that entails. In large organisations, this is difficult enough, but in smaller companies, these episodes of sickness can seriously threaten the integrity of the business. So what can you do about this?
Here are the 5 key tips to sort this out:
- Ensure you have good, accurate and up-to-date information on the sickness record of the individual in question. You should plot their sick time on a calendar or spreadsheet where any patterns will stand out. Then when you come to discuss this with them, there is no ambiguity about the problem.
- Make sure your company has a policy on dealing with sickness absence which has clear ‘trigger’ points. That is when an individual has a certain number of days off within a certain period, it triggers management action. This usually amounts to the requirement to convene a formal meeting to discuss the individual’s sickness record, and to warn them about the consequences of continued short-term absences. There is an example policy here. It is also a good idea to insist that staff with above a certain number of periods of sickness absence produce a medical certificate from their GP every time they are absent.
- After every period of sickness, a return-to-work meeting should be held with the individual on the first day back. This confirms to them that management are aware of their sick time, and allows the opportunity to discuss any health problems they may have. Also ensure that the issues discussed, and what is expected of the individual is written down in a letter to the individual, and that this is properly filed on their personnel file.
- Ensure all managers and supervisors are trained to apply the policy consistently. Once staff realise that the company means business on these sorts of intermittent periods of sickness absences, the number of absences tends to decrease significantly.
- Individuals who fail to improve their sickness absence record, following appropriate warnings, can be dismissed on the basis of capability – that is they are not able to fulfill their contract of employment because of their sickness absences. Take care that you have followed your procedure carefully, and that you have not discriminated against anyone on the basis of a disability (or indeed any other reason).this demonstrates that you take sickness absence very seriously, and shows staff who have had to bear the increased workload for sick colleagues that you have taken positive action to sort this out.
Often managers in small businesses worry that they cannot take action against individuals who demonstrate frequent intermittent sickness periods. This is not the case. Staff who deliberately take time off claiming to be sick when they really are not, put their colleagues under pressure to cover their duties, and ultimately threaten the success of the company and the livelihood of all concerned. Application of a suitable sickeness absence policy, clear information on the pattern of absences, and consistent application by managers and supervisors will go a very long way to control and hopefully eradicate this sort of behaviour.