Let’s talk about something that makes every employer wince – the sound of a colleague heroically struggling through a meeting whilst clearly ‘dying’ from the lurgy. Yes, that’s them, coughing into a sleeve, tissues piling up, insisting with a croaky voice that they’re “absolutely fine, really”.
They’re not fine, and neither will the rest of your team be once they’ve shared their germs with everyone!
Managing sickness absence isn’t simply keeping track of who’s off and how often. What’s more important is creating a culture where people will feel supported when they’re genuinely unwell but, at the same time, not being too ‘soft’ and potentially opening the floodgates for non-genuine absences. You don’t want people thinking it’s fine to “pull a sickie” on a sunny Friday. Get the balance right and you’ll have a healthier, happier team.
The Plague-Spreaders: Why Presenteeism is Your Secret Productivity Killer
Someone dragging themselves into work while poorly can cause far more damage than if they’d just stayed at home with a Lemsip and a strong dose of daytime TV. Presenteeism costs UK businesses a staggering £15.1 billion annually, according to research by Vitality and the Institute of Leadership & Management.
When people continue to work whilst genuinely unwell, they tend to make more mistakes, or work at a slower pace or have poor concentration. Worse still, their germs are circulating round colleagues, potentially triggering a domino effect that knocks out half the office over the next week. Brilliant.
Why do people suffer from presenteeism? Some worry about letting colleagues down. Some panic about the work that won’t get done. Some fear they may be perceived as unreliable or could even fret about disciplinary action.
If you’ve accidentally created an environment where taking time off (when genuinely unwell) feels somehow like ‘admitting defeat’, well, that’s exactly the kind of toxic workplace culture that could drive good people away.
Creating a Sickness Policy That Doesn’t Make Everyone Miserable
A clear, fair sickness absence policy is essential. This should cover the basics of how employees report sickness, when notification needs to happen, what information you actually need, when a fit note is required – after seven consecutive days, by the way – and how return-to-work conversations happen.
But your policy needs to function in the real world. People will get ill. It happens! A policy where an absence sounds like a criminal offence is more likely to drive presenteeism through the roof, not reduce absenteeism.
The Bradford Factor is a popular tool for monitoring absence patterns, giving more weight to frequent short absences than occasional longer ones. But don’t be tempted to wield it like a weapon! Someone with multiple short absences might be struggling with a chronic condition, a long-term condition or even workplace stress. When you’re building strong company culture and values, a supportive conversation will probably reveal much more than a calculation tool.
Infection Control: Keeping the bugs at bay
Post-pandemic, we’re all a little better informed on how easily infections spread. Simple measures make a real difference – stock plenty of tissues and hand sanitiser, ensure good ventilation in meeting rooms, keep surfaces clean and – where possible – make it genuinely acceptable for people to work from home when they’re ‘a little unwell’ but still functional.
That last point is an important one. Thanks to remote working technology, many roles can be done from the living room during that phase when someone’s well enough to work but still potentially infectious or feeling a bit weak. A flexible approach could help to prevent an office-wide outbreak whilst keeping projects moving along.
The Return-to-Work Chat: Not an Interrogation
Return-to-work conversations shouldn’t make an employee feel like they’re in an audition for a crime drama. It should be a supportive check-in that helps you understand any issues and (if needed) make reasonable adjustments. Holding them may also gently discourage unnecessary absence as knowing that there’ll be a conversation upon return can make people think twice about just ‘bunking off’.
Keep these conversations private, genuinely supportive (focus on wellbeing, not playing detective), proportionate and consistent – have them with everyone, every time.
When Patterns Emerge or Things Get Tricky
Sometimes absence patterns suggest deeper issues. Persistent short-term absences, particularly if they fall into suspiciously convenient patterns, might indicate problems beyond genuine illness.
Address concerns through supportive conversations first. There might be a legitimate underlying issue – perhaps someone is finding their workload overwhelming or they are really struggling with a chaotic commute. In some circumstances, flexible working arrangements might resolve matters. Remember, improving employee retention often comes down to showing people that you actually care about them as humans.
If absence continues despite genuine support, you may need formal capability or disciplinary procedures. This is an area where you need to tread carefully though, following proper processes. Dismissal related to sickness absence can be legal quicksand, even more so if the employee has a condition which is considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
The Bottom Line on Managing Sickness Absence
Managing sickness absence well means balancing fairness, consistency and decency. You need clear policies, a culture where people feel supported when genuinely unwell, and managers who can have a sensitive conversation without making the other person squirm.
Most importantly, focus on creating a workplace where people actually want to be. If an environment is unpleasant or characterised by workplace bullying and harassment – which could make people dread coming in – sickness absence goes up. When your team feels valued and engaged, sickness absence tends to regulate itself naturally.
Need help making sickness policies that work in the real world? Give us a call on 01252 757359 or drop us an email at hello@vivohr.co.uk – we’d love to support you.
