Features

Childcare Counsel – dealing proactively with long-term sickness

Hannah Francis-Hopkins, solicitor at Morgan LaRoche, on best ways to manage sickness absence
'Try to ascertain the nature and the cause of the sickness'.
'Try to ascertain the nature and the cause of the sickness'.

Managing sickness absence has always been an issue for HR. The issues that can arise if sickness absence is not managed effectively can include not only financial costs but also loss of productivity, an impact on both staff morale and customer service and a waste of management time if not dealt with appropriately.

The management of long-term sickness absence should be dealt with proactively by following a fair procedure from your organisation’s sickness absence policy. Effective communication and engagement should be applied for successful management of the absence – engage early on and keep in touch (keep records of every contact you make). The main objective should be facilitating the employee’s return to work at the earliest opportunity, and dismissal should be a last resort.

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