Sickness Absence

Sickness Absence

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Absence Management

absence managment northern ireland scotland

Employee absence is a significant cost for employers. 

Employees are absent for an average of 6.4 days per annum

Why should business manage sickness absences in the workplace

Absence management helps to support employees to stay in work or return
to work
when they have been unwell. 

Often employers find it difficult to find the balance between providing
support to the employee while they continue to work or to assist their return
to work and taking firm action to ensure that absence policies are not taken
advantage of, these policies should be within the employee handbook

Employers should record all correspondence with employees when dealing with
absence, such as phone calls and meetings. 

Line managers role in absence management

A key part of managing absence is the role of line managers. Line managers
or supervisors are the first point of contact for an employee when they report
an absence and when they return to work. 

Line managers link the employees to the owners of the business, therefore it
is essential that managers develop and maintain a good relationship with employee
to manage absenteeism. Employers should provide training for line managers to
equip with the skills to have the confidence to consider the wellbeing of the
people they manage, while ensuring their working environment suits their
needs. 

Line managers should monitor continuous absence and patterns of absence and
implement appropriate procedures when necessary. 

While line managers have responsibility for absence management, it is
imperative that employees are aware of the company’s absence management
procedure
. Employees should be made aware of this during the induction
process. Check out our YouTube video for more information on absence management

Short-term and long-term sickness absence

Sickness absence is either defined as short-term or long-term absence.

Short-term is often easier managed and can be dealt with using absence policies, disciplinary procedures and occupational health. It is important for employers to have effective absence policies and return-to-work procedures in place to form part of an effective attendance management strategy. 

Long-term absence can be challenging to manage and requires management from both HR and the employee’s line manager. Regular communication, including well-being meetings and appointments with OHC, can help to manage long-term absence.

How we can help your business with absence management

When you sign up for our retained monthly package, we include HR software which helps in monitoring employee’s absences, further to this, our HR consultants are on hand with unlimited calls and emails helping to guide you through the process.

By outsourcing HR you add another layer of protection to your business and keep yourself on the right side of employment law.

Contact HR Consultants

Please fill out your details below and a member of our team will get in touch with you.

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Enda Young
Enda Young
2023-05-30
We've been working with BeyondHR in Mediation Northern Ireland for the past six months. I highly recommend their services in regards to HR issues around staff Handbooks, policies and procedures, health and safety and general HR guidance.
Armagh Rhymers
Armagh Rhymers
2023-02-15
Beyond HR has been a brilliant support to ABC Community Network, very professional and efficient! The staff has been fantastic, especially Lauren and Deirdre. Cormac made the process of signing up very easy and cost effective. Thank you for all the support and guidance. Emma
Trevor Finlay
Trevor Finlay
2022-10-13
The clue is in their name. They really do go beyond the call of duty. We have had an excellent service from the team over several years. Highly recommended for supporting on all staff related issues.
Iain Mcbride
Iain Mcbride
2020-08-21
MAC Recruit Group were referred to Natalie and Beyond HR, to help with our initial set up and growth of the business. We received a fanstastic level or service where no questions was too small and all queries were answered in a very timely manner. I have no hesitation to referring Natalie to other business owners and we will continue to use the service for many years to come.
Tracy McGrath
Tracy McGrath
2020-08-21
As a start up business, we required help and support to ensure both our business and staff were protected when it came to policies and procedures. We decided to speak with Natalie to find out what we required as a business. From initial telephone conversation, to face to face meeting – Natalie has been amazing. Value for money is brilliant and always knowing Natalie is at the end of the phone for any urgent questions is great for peace of mind. This allows us to free up the time to concentrate on our business. Since engaging Natalie over a year ago, we have recommended Natalie to a number of Clients, friends and family – all have businesses that employ various numbers of staff. She is an asset to any business small or large and her knowledge is second to none.
Anne Muir
Anne Muir
2020-08-03
Fabrication Specialists Limited required a company who could keep us up to date with employment law and compliant with the requirements of employee contracts etc. We are delighted with the help and professionalism of Beyond HR, in particular Natalie who is always on the end of the phone when we need her. In these uncertain times dealing with Covid19 issues, BeyondHR have guided us through the requirements of furlough step by step making the whole process much easier to deal with. I would not hesitate to recommend BeyondHR to any company seeking this type of service.
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Joanne Peters
2020-07-31
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