Managing Employee Absence

Absence is reported to have cost UK Businesses £400million per week in 2023 (and reduced economic output by £22billion!) which I suspect will be the same if not higher in 2024.

Regardless of the size of your business, as an employer absence is something you will need to navigate at some point so its important to understand your responsibilities as an employer.

Let me tell you a conversation I have had regularly during my HR career:

Employer: My employee has been off for 3 weeks sick! I can’t afford for them to be off any longer, its putting extra pressure on the rest of my team, I need to replace them but I cant because they are off sick. What can I do?

HR Consultant: What contact have you had with your Employee?

Employer: They handed their Fit Note in 3 weeks ago and I haven’t spoken to them since because they’re off sick so Im not allowed too.

Can you relate to this conversation….? Its one that comes up all the time for an HR Consultant. Absence is a huge burden on a business, it costs time and money as well as often frustration – even when the absence cant be helped.  

The good news is, there are some practical steps you can take to deal with absence effectively, as well as encouraging a healthy workplace culture.

1.      Have a clear absence policy

Your starting point should always be a written absence policy. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but it should cover:

• How employees should report absence (e.g. who to contact, by what time, and how)

• When fit notes are required (usually after 7 calendar days of sickness absence)

• How return to work discussions will be handled

• How absence levels are monitored and any trigger points

• What happens in cases of persistent or long-term absence

Tip: Make sure all employees have easy access to the policy, it should be included within an Employee Handbook

2.       Record absence consistently

Keep accurate records of all absences — dates, reasons, and any documentation (like self-certificates or fit notes). This helps you:

• Spot patterns (Monday club Absences)

• Treat employees consistently

• Comply with legal obligations (e.g. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) records)

Tip: Consider using simple HR software to help log and track absence – Breathe HR is a great tool for this, otherwise a spreadsheet or other easily accessible document is sufficient.

3.      Encourage early communication

Under the Weather

Encourage a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting absence promptly and honestly. Early communication helps you:

• Plan for cover

• Offer support where needed

• Identify issues before they escalate

Remember: Where an employee DOES NOT report their absence, you have a duty to check they are ok. Make contact with them promptly and if you have cause for concern for their welfare, make use of their emergency contacts.

Tip: Train line managers to handle absence calls sensitively, a supportive approach makes employees more likely to engage rather than being treated like a nuisance.

4.      Conduct return-to-work meetings

A brief, informal return to work chat shows you take absence seriously, and provides an opportunity to:

• Check the employee is well enough to return

• Discuss any support they might need as part of their return to work

• Update them on anything they missed while they were off

• Identify any underlying issues (e.g. workplace stress)

• Helps reduce non-genuine absence if the employee knows they will have to discuss their absence on their return

Remember: Document the meeting. Even a short note helps create a clear record that can be referred back too in future if needed.

5.      Be fair but firm

Frequent short-term absences or long-term sickness can impact your business. The key is to:

✅ Follow your policy

✅ Be consistent across the team

✅ Keep in touch with employees who are off sick, in a sensitive, proportionate way (Welfare meetings at regular intervals are great for this)

✅ Consider occupational health referrals where an absence has/is likely to last longer than 4 weeks or to support with reasonable adjustments

Remember: Dismissal for absence should always be a last resort, and only after a fair process (including consultation, medical input if appropriate, and consideration of adjustments).

6.       Know your legal obligations

✔ Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – ensure eligible employees receive SSP after 3 waiting days of sickness absence.

✔ Disability discrimination – under the Equality Act 2010, consider reasonable adjustments.

✔ Data protection – treat absence records as confidential.

Remember: Seek advice in complex cases such as long-term sickness, disability-related absence, or potential dismissal.

7.       Promote wellbeing and attendance

Prevention is better than cure. You can help reduce absence by:

• Promoting mental health support such as Employee Assistance Programmes (www.bhsf.co.uk offer a great service) or training mental health first aiders.

• Tackling workplace stress

• Creating a positive work environment

• Be mindful not to encourage presenteeism – can cause bugs to spread amongst the team

Remember: Attendance bonuses are no longer common place and could be considered to be disability discrimination if not managed correctly.

Tip: A small investment in wellbeing often pays off in reduced absence and higher morale.

Dealing with absence is about balance, as an employer you need to be mindful of your duty of care, showing understanding for genuine illness or emergencies while keeping the business running smoothly. A clear policy, good communication, and fair processes will help you manage absence .

If you’d like help drafting a suitable absence policy or advice on a particular case, please get in touch so we can support you.

📧 jenna@heartlandhr.co.uk

☎️ 07715 313 504