Managing sickness absence
10 September 2008
Absenteeism is on the up. Each year, millions of working days
are lost due to sickness absence, costing the UK billions of
pounds. Many organisations struggle to cope with increasing
levels of absenteeism, unsure how to approach absence rates and
manage absence effectively.
Employers are often faced with long-term
absences. These raise a number of difficult questions, relating to
the way in which workloads should be managed, whether permanent
health insurance has been triggered, whether ill-health pensions
are available and whether dismissal should be considered.
Employers also need to tackle short-term absences, which regularly
highlight a variety of disciplinary and dismissal issues.
Trying to manage sickness absence can
therefore seem fraught with danger for employers. How do you
balance dealing with the absent employee and the other employees
left to pick up the work? How long do you leave it before you
take action? Will the steps you take constitute disability
discrimination and/or lead to an unfair dismissal? Will
dismissal on health grounds automatically trigger a generous
pension or do you retain control (such as a discretion to approve
payment)?
The legal implications of managing sickness
absence are undoubtedly significant. However, a practical,
consistent approach can protect an employer, particularly if issues
are dealt with at the earliest opportunity. This workshop will put
the legal background into context and, through our case studies,
will highlight the practical implications, enabling you to identify
the key issues and take the necessary steps to manage sickness
absence effectively.
Click
here to reserve your place.