Time out: how to approach absent employees

As a small business owner, it's important to support employees when they’re sick, particularly over a long period. But it’s also important to have a clear policy in place that addresses long-term sickness, with a view to helping employees back to work when they’re ready. Here are some tips to help you handle absences in your workplace:

• Establish a clear policy to make sure absence is managed in a consistent, supportive and effective way. This should include information on sick pay, health advice and fit notes.
• Check in regularly with employees who have been unwell for a long period of time, and keep them in the loop with changes at work. Ask them to keep you up-to-date with their progress and talk about how you can help them return to work when the time is right.
• Hold a return-to-work meeting to make sure you’re aware of any problems that might come up and understand what support they’ll need. Emphasise how important it is to have them back, and make them feel part of the team.
• Remember that absence can be caused by social and emotional issues too, such as stress, relationship troubles or personal problems. These can be especially difficult to address, for you and the employee, so it’s worth seeking advice. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) offers an advisory booklet with detailed guidance on this and other scenarios. The mental health charity Mind has issued a guide (PDF 0.3MB) to supporting employees with mental health problems.
• Employees need clear guidelines so they know what leave they are entitled to and how to manage it. If someone in your team is frequently absent, you need to have a firm discussion with them about what’s expected. Make sure they understand the consequences of unacceptable absences.
• Legally, there are no limits on how much time an employee can take off to look after a sick child or dependent; how this is handled is at the discretion of the individual company. Many businesses ask employees to take annual or parental leave. Set out your policy clearly in employees’ contracts.

Employee absence, whether through long-term illness or frequent sick days, is a strain on the business. A transparent policy is vital, as is an understanding of the condition or issue that is affecting their ability to work. If an employee is often absent with no explanation, don’t be afraid to have that difficult conversation.

Speak to our small business team to find out more.