Course Description

Within workplaces, it is critical that you, as an owner or manager, are able to manage employees who are incapable of attending work for reasons relating to illness or injury. You should be competent in dealing with sickness absence reasonably, by setting standards that allow you to service the needs of all your employees. The implementation of effective processes will also assist in reducing disruptions relating to workplace absence and decrease the cost of sick pay and lost productivity within your organisation.

Target Student

Business owners and managers who have a responsibility for staff management.

Delivery Method

Instructor led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on activities.

Performance-Based Objectives

By the end of this programme, each delegate will be able to:

• Describe the legal framework within which absences must be dealt
• Describe the six major causes of absence from work
• Outline best practice for minimising unauthorised  employee absence
• Understand the impact of the Equality Act when dealing with absence
• Outline best practice for dealing with
  • Long term absence
  • Persistent short term absence
  • Genuine illness
  • Skiving
• Understand the barriers to dealing effectively with employee absence
• Understand proper disciplinary procedures for use when faced with unauthorised absence
• Describe employees legal rights to œunauthorised absence and how to address these
• Prepare an absence policy for their business

Course Content

• The Legal Framework
• The six main causes of absence from work.
• The barriers to effective absence management record keeping/back to work interviews etc.
• The Bradford Formula advantages and disadvantages should this always be used?
• Dealing with different kinds of absence, short term, long terms, skiving, genuine illness, sports injuries
• Handling meeting with your employees to discuss absence
• Proper discipline procedures and their interaction with unauthorized absence
• Time off for family emergencies / bereavement / religious observance
• Stress
• The effect of the Equality Act