Managing long-term absence can be frustrating for both employer and employee. On the one hand, you have an employee who is physically or mentally sick, trying to get better but often struggling to manage their illness and build up their ability to return to work. On the other hand, you have an employer with a job that needs doing, other employees feeling the strain of filling the void and feeling in limbo about when they might return.
With long-term sickness absence at its highest in decades, it’s vital for both the employee and employer to COMMUNICATE, UNDERSTAND the condition and likely time off, REFLECT with each other as to what adjustments may help the employee return and the employer to manage the business.
Employers often cringe at the thought of managing sickness absence; they worry that it feels unkind or insensitive. Likewise, employees can find it intrusive and distrusting, often thinking they are being managed out. In our experience, failing to manage absence in a TIMELY manner leads to frustration, anxiety, resentment, a breakdown in relations and often longer absences. A recent article from the BBC highlighted the importance of this.
What to do as an employer:
1. Keep in regular communication
2. Follow a sickness absence process (so everyone knows where they stand)
3. Seek independent medical advice (often through an occupational health provider)
4. Be open to variations and be kind.
What to do as an employee:
1. Be open and honest
2. Consent to medical reports
3. Try to recognise that the framework of following a policy is a tool to support you while absent and gives you a better chance of returning to work
4. If you do not think you can return for a long time, consider whether remaining an employee is causing you additional anxiety and pressure, impacting your rehabilitation.
Following a sickness absence policy doesn’t mean an employee is being managed out of the business; it’s a way to help an employee get back to work. Sometimes that’s not always possible, but exploring whether it’s possible is important.
If you want more advice on managing sickness, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a team member today.
