Attendance management policy

Human Resources Attendance Monitoring Policy/Procedure 2013

Human Resources ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT POLICY/PROCEDURE A

INTRODUCTION

The College recognises the significant contributions made by employees and is committed to providing good working conditions and health and safety standards. Hopwood Hall College is committed to maximising the attendance of all employees through the reporting and monitoring of absence and by providing support to minimise the impact of absence on the College. Hopwood Hall College will at all times act reasonably, fairly and in line with statutory requirements.

The confidential nature of attendance management will be respected by Managers in implementing this policy and procedure.

Persistent unauthorised absence is a serious issue. Not only does it affect the smooth running of the College, absence may also lead to: Increased pressure and workload for the remainder of the team Decreased levels and quality of work Decreased morale amongst the team members Problems for line managers in the structure and organisation of workload Employees absent without authority or who fail to comply with the absence reporting requirements can expect disciplinary action to be initiated.

Where it is established that an employee has knowingly given false information or made false statements about their absence from work, disciplinary action will normally be taken.

Such action may result in dismissal.

It is the responsibility of all employees to attend work punctually and regularly.

Continued employment may be jeopardised if attendance at work is unsatisfactory.

If an employee fails unreasonably to comply with the College’s policy and procedure on Attendance or their contractual obligations the employee’s pay or Occupational Sick Pay may be withheld.

Hopwood Hall College reserves the right to dismiss an employee whilst they are receiving sick pay entitlements. Any decision to dismiss will consider medical evidence and will be through a fair and equitable process. An employee who is dismissed will be entitled to receive the equivalent to their notice period.

B

SCOPE

All staff, with the exception of Senior Post holders will be managed in accordance with this policy.

The policy does not form part of the employment contract.

C

POLICY STATEMENT

The Attendance Management Policy and Procedure provides clear procedures to promote acceptable levels of attendance in the work place and to ensure consistency and fair treatment of employees if attendance becomes an issue and is required to be addressed.

It is recognised that all cases must be dealt with on an individual basis due to differing circumstances.

The College recognises the significant contributions made by employees and is committed to providing good working conditions and health and safety standards. As part of this approach Hopwood Hall College is committed to maximising the attendance of all employees through the reporting and monitoring of absence and by providing support in order to minimise the impact of absence on the College.

Hopwood Hall College, in implementing this policy, will at all times act reasonably, fairly and in line with statutory requirements.

The confidential nature of attendance management will be respected by Managers in implementing this policy and procedure.

It is a fundamental objective of the Attendance Management Policy that all employees understand the expectations of the College in terms of attendance and the way in which attendance issues will be managed within the College.

Managers will be given training to ensure that they are clear as to the procedures to be followed and their obligation to manage attendance effectively and in a timely manner.

Advice should be taken from the Human Resources team who will be involved at all formal stages of the procedure to ensure consistent application of the policy and procedure throughout the organisation.

This Policy and Procedure covers the management of short term and long term sickness absence from work. For the purpose of this policy and procedure, long term absence will be classed as at least 15 consecutive days (or three weeks) continuous absence.

The Attendance Management Procedure is designed to help and encourage employees to achieve and maintain acceptable levels of attendance and where it has become unacceptable, to improve. It is recognised that people are occasionally sick however, regular attendance at work is a contractual obligation.

To ensure that attendance requirements are understood and managed in a clear and consistent manner, the procedure explains the absence notification process, entitlements to payment during absence from work, the return to work process and the monitoring of absence.

Employees are required to attend all meetings relating to the Attendance Management procedure.

Where there are circumstances make attendance difficult or impossible consideration will be given on a case by case basis.

This policy and procedure will not discriminate either directly or indirectly against any individual on grounds of gender, race, ethnicity or national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, religion or belief, age, trade union membership, disability, socio-economic status, offending background or any other personal characteristic.

Reporting Absence If an employee is unable to attend work for any reason, they must contact their line manager by telephone as soon as possible and no later than 10am on the first day of absence; for Lecturing staff where lessons need covering, where possible, this should be before 8.45 am.

The employee must make the call themselves and other forms of communication such as text message or email are not acceptable (unless a disability prevents the employee from doing so). The only exception is where it is clearly not possible for the employee to ring their Line Manager personally, such as admission to hospital, incarceration etc.

If it is not possible to speak to the Line Manager, a message must be left with their immediate Manager or Curriculum Support.

If it is not possible to contact the Line Manager’s immediate manager or Curriculum Support, the employee must speak to Human Resources.

Where an employee has authority from their Manager to work at home, or works in the Community, and is unable to attend work, absence must be reported in line with the details above.

When reporting absence, the following information must be given: The reason for absence The expected length of absence What action is being taken, for example if sickness absence, a visit to the GP with the time and date of appointment Workload implications of absence (ie, lessons to be covered, planned meetings) If absence continues for more than one day, absence must be reported in the same way each day until such time that the Line Manager advises that it is not necessary. If the absence is stress related it automatically triggers occupational health involvement and should be reported immediately to HR. In cases of long term absence, employees are required to make weekly contact with their Line Manager.

Unauthorised Absence If absence from work is not reported correctly and in line with the arrangements above, the absence will be classed as unauthorised and the disciplinary procedure may be invoked. If an employee does not follow the reporting procedure as above, the manager must contact HR immediately.

On receiving notification from an employee that they will be absent from work, it is the responsibility of the Line Manager to immediately record the information on the Online HR System.

To ensure that Line Managers are up to date with the level of absence of employees within their team it is imperative that Managers run the monthly absence report on the Online HR System. View appendix II, III and IV for further direction on how a Line Manager should address any concerns in relation to employee absence.

Documentation For any absence up to and including seven consecutive days (including weekends and Bank Holidays), the Line Manager must carry out a return to work interview (see appendix I) with the employee immediately upon return to work. If the Line Manager is absent for any reason, the returning employee should report to the Line Manager’s Line Manager [or as soon thereafter as is practically possible]. The form used for this interview will be signed by both the employee and Line Manager. This form will also be used for selfcertification of absence. Once the form has been completed, it must be forwarded to Human Resources on the same day.

For absences over seven consecutive days, a valid Fit Note, from the eighth day, must be provided. This certificate is to be submitted for the attention of Human Resources as soon as it is issued by the GP and should arrive no later than the tenth day of absence. Where a medical certificate does not specify the recommended period for which the employee should refrain from attending work, the employee will be notified and asked to revisit the GP to have the note corrected. Should a further note not be provided the period of cover will be deemed to be seven days.

Fit Notes (Statement of Fitness to Work) From April 2010 a GP will issue a “Fit to Work Note” – the GP will identify, in their opinion, whether the employee is not fit to work, or is fit to undertake some work. If the latter, the note will also detail what adjustments may be required to facilitate this and the length of time adjustments may be required for. The GP will only make recommendations up to a maximum of three months, at which point the employee will be considered fit for full duties – unless a further Fit Note is issued by a GP. Where the adjustment is a reduction in working hours, the hours not worked will be made up by Occupational Sick Pay which could equate to full pay dependent on the amount of occupational sick pay entitlement.

The College will be guided by a Fit Note from a GP but will consult with Occupational Health to determine necessary adjustments in line with their experience of the FE Sector.

If the adjustments recommended are not appropriate or available the “Fit to Work” note will be interpreted as “Not Fit to Work”. The employee is not required to obtain another certificate for the period covered.

NB When a fit note indicates that the employees must be reassessed at the end of a specified period this must be undertaken before the employee is allowed to commence work.

If reasonable adjustments are required to enable the employee to return to work, implementation will be as soon as is reasonably practicable as decided in conjunction with Human Resources and the Health and Safety Manager where appropriate.

Return to Work Return to work interviews are held with all employees irrespective of length of absence, position or absence reason at the start of their first day back in work following an absence (see appendix I). The forms should be signed and dated in sight of the employee and Line Manager.

The purpose of the return to work interview is:

To welcome the employee back to work and ensure fitness for work To establish the reason for the absence and to ensure that any underlying effects or illness, that the College needs to be aware of are discussed Identify and discuss any assistance that may be given to the employee to enable them to return to work effectively or prevent further absence from occurring Discuss previous absence history and any emerging patterns of absence Update the employee on any College or team developments during the period of absence Short Term Absence from Work The College accepts that employees will experience occasional absences. It is a cause for concern when absences become frequent as this may indicate underlying medical reasons which require discussion.

Unacceptable, persistent short term absence is regarded as 3 occasions of absence in any 12 month rolling period regardless of the length of each individual absence (up to an individual instance of 15 days) or 4 % of working time.

Absences from work due to a medical condition that is covered by the Equality Act 2010 will not be counted for monitoring purposes. A person has a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if he/she has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Long term means has lasted, or is expected to last, for 12 months or more. Where an employee has a condition that is covered by the Equality Act 2010, they must inform a member of the Human Resources team. HR will discuss any relevant issues with the Health & Safety Manager and initiate a work place risk assessment if required.

Should absence become frequent or a pattern of absence occur, a review will be carried out by the Line Manager. Notes of this review should be taken and sent to the Human Resources team as soon as possible for discussion.

The College may decide that referral to Occupational Health is required, this will be decided on an individual basis taking into consideration individual circumstances.

However, where the reason for absence / prognosis / symptoms suggest a stress-related illness, immediate referral will be standard practice. Employees are required to attend Occupational Health assessments or examinations under the terms of their contract of employment. At least 24 hours notice should be given to cancel or rearrange an appointment. If the persistent short term absence is found to be as a consequence of an underlying medical condition, advice will be sought to identify any reasonable adjustments or assistance that the College can provide.

If following the review, the absence is not confirmed to be a consequence of an underlying medical condition, the attendance issue will be dealt with as detailed under Monitoring & Management of Attendance.

Failure to improve attendance could ultimately lead to dismissal.

Long Term Absence from Work Long term absence from work is regarded as any absence lasting over 15 consecutive days (3 consecutive weeks).

It is important that regular communication is maintained between the employee and their Line Manager throughout the period of absence. The communication process should involve regular telephone contact, correspondence and face to face meetings between the employee and the Line Manager. A member of the Human Resources team will be involved in face to face meetings with all staff.

The discussions will cover diagnosis, current treatment, prognosis, support that can be provided by the College, anticipated length of absence and any possible course of action to aid the employee’s sustained return to work.

The meetings may take place at the employee’s home address or other agreed location if they are not well enough to travel or prefer to meet at their home. Employees may wish to be accompanied at the meeting by a work colleague or Trade Union representative [family member or friend if at home]. The Line Manager will be accompanied by a member of the Human Resources team.

All employees who are absent due to long term sickness may be referred to the Occupational Health. However, where the reason for absence suggests a stress-related illness, immediate referral will be standard practice.

Where appropriate, the employee may be asked to agree to the College contacting their GP or medical specialist. The purpose of this is to enable the College to obtain professional medical advice relating the employee’s medical condition and recommendations for possible reasonable adjustments to enable the employee to return to work. Advice may also be obtained on the likelihood and timescales for resumption. This will be considered along with recommendations received from the Occupational Health. Where an employee refuses to agree to the disclosure of a medical report, the College must advise the employee that will have no choice but to act on the information it has at its disposal at that time and will not be as well placed to make appropriate judgements or adjustments as it would be with the professional medical advice.

Wherever possible, Hopwood Hall College will aim to achieve successful return to work on a permanent basis using the medical guidance and the employee’s own suggestions to find the best possible way to do so. It may be that the employee requires temporary adjustments to the role and a phased return to work to enable the eventual full return to work. If following management of the absence it is necessary to change the role and responsibilities of an employee where it has been determined, considering all medical evidence available, that the employee cannot return to work in their previous capacity – taking into consideration the temporary adjustments as detailed in Short Term Absence from Work and any requirements covered in the Equality Act 2010, the Human Resources department will assist the Line Manager and employee to resolve the matter. If however, adjustments to the extent required and all other possibilities have been exhausted, the employee may ultimately be dismissed on the grounds of medical capability in accordance with the Capability Dismissal section of this procedure.

Annual Leave during Periods of Sickness Absence Employees will continue to accrue annual leave during periods of absence from work. If an employee goes on holiday during a period of certified sickness absence, entitlement to Occupational Sick Pay will cease. In such circumstances, the employee should ensure that the Doctor has signed them off as fit to travel and no longer sick or if the employee is still unfit for work that the holiday is beneficial to recovery to initiate payment of occupational sick pay. Employees must inform the College of their status. Once an employee goes on holiday, they will be regarded as having resumed work and upon return from holiday will

be expected to attend work. If the employee is unable to resume work upon return from holiday, a medical certificate will be required from the outset and self-certification will not apply.

In the event of sickness absence occurring prior to a date for which annual leave has already been authorised, the annual leave may be re-arranged, subject to the receipt of a valid medical certificate. If an employee is ill during a period of annual leave, there is no right to re-arrange the annual leave unless the employee produces medical evidence that they were unfit to work.

If an employee is absent due to sickness prior to the end of an academic term and intends to take annual leave during the holiday they must obtain a medical certificate which declares them fit to return to work. If, following the holiday, they do not return to work due to sickness, the employee will require a further medical certificate declaring them unfit to work.

If an employee is absent due to sickness at the end of an academic term and they are not taking annual leave, a GP certificate still needs to be submitted during the closed term for the term of the absence, even if they would not normally be required to work.

If an employee is absent from work on a Bank Holiday, the holiday cannot be re-taken at a later date.

If an employee is absent from work on a long term basis and is unable to take annual leave, any entitlement will be carried over into the next holiday year at the statutory entitlement (ie, 20 days – this does not include the 8 days bank holidays). The employee may also request to take annual leave while on sick leave, therefore receiving full salary, but this request must come at the end of a period of sickness absence and a “Fit to Work” note should be obtained from the GP in confirmation. It is anticipated therefore that at the end of this period of annual leave the employee will be fit to return to work.

Where employment is terminated due to medical capability, any annual leave entitlement accrued and not taken due to absence will be paid in lieu of entitlement, at the statutory level.

Managing Stress The Health and Safety Executive define stress as: “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them”.

In order to prevent stress from occurring, employees and Line Managers must use the guidance provided in the College’s Prevention of Work-related Stress policy and guidance documents.

If an employee or their Line Manager believes an employee is suffering from a stressrelated illness that is either work-related or of a personal nature they should in the first instance refer to the College’s Prevention of Work-related Stress policy and guidance documents.

An employee who feels that they are suffering from stress must seek support from their Line Manager. If the reason for the stress condition relates to their Line Manager the employee must contact the Human Resources team directly.

The Human Resources team will work with the employee, Line Manager and the Health & Safety Manager and will refer the employee to the Occupational Health and/or Counselling for support in resolving the problem.

The Health & Safety Manager will carry out a Stress Risk Assessment and will assist the Line Manager to implement any recommendations contained within the report where possible.

The Human Resources team will arrange to meet with the employee and their Line Manager following the Occupational Health appointment to discuss the content of the Occupational Health report and the recommendations of the Stress Risk Assessment and formulate a plan to resolve the problem and prevent further occurrences of work-related stress.

Monitoring and Management of Attendance Short term - Excessive intermittent absence from work (ie, 3 or more occasions of absence in a 12 month rolling period or 4% of working time), where there is not an underlying medical reason, industrial injury or assault, will be managed using the following steps: Step One: The employee will be invited to a meeting to discuss their absence record, including any patterns or trends of absence with the Line Manager. The Line Manager will write to the employee (see Appendix 5 – Template first letter to employee] inviting them to a meeting, detailing the reason for the meeting and the right to be accompanied at this meeting. During the meeting, the Line Manager and employee will discuss the absence[s], agree a supportive action plan which will last for 6 months with an interim review at three months. Notes of any meetings will be sent to the Human Resources team.

The supportive action plan will involve close monitoring of future attendance at work and agreed supportive action targets. The Line Manager will liaise with Human Resources on the agreed supportive action plan so that a letter can be issued to the employee confirming the plan. Where the supportive action plan has been successfully achieved, the attendance record will be reviewed and the employee will be encouraged to maintain acceptable levels of attendance at work, with a final review at 6 months.

Step Two: Should attendance at work not improve to the extent required and as set out and agreed in the supportive action plan, action will be taken under as detailed in Formal Hearing Capability section of this procedure and in line with the College’s Disciplinary Policy and Procedure. Such action may be taken at any point it is noted that the plan fails, after the three month review or after six months as appropriate. In addition to any sanction which may be issued following a Formal Hearing, a further supportive action plan will be agreed by the Chair of any such hearing with the employee. The supportive action plan will continue to be monitored by the Line Manager with the employee. The supportive action plan will be reviewed after a further six months or sooner if fails before.

Step Three: If at any point during the following six months, attendance continues to be at an unacceptable level and the supportive action plan does not aid the employee to achieve and maintain an acceptable level of attendance at work, the employee will be managed under the Formal Hearing Capability section of this procedure and may eventually lead to dismissal.

Long term absence from work will be managed as follows: Throughout the period of long term absence regular meetings will be held with the Line Manager, Human Resources and the employee to manage the absence. Occupational Health and / or Counselling will be part of the process for managing absence. Employees are obliged to fully cooperate with College throughout the period of absence with the aim of a successful return to work. If it is not envisaged that the employee will return within 4 weeks a review meeting will be scheduled to discuss the guidance of the Occupational Health. At this meeting an update on the condition of the employee will be given and adjustments, phased return and the “Fit to Work� note will be discussed. A further occupational health review appointment will also be planned to take place as appropriate.

The employee will be encouraged to return to work where possible. A letter will be sent to the employee detailing the discussions / agreements reached.

Where absence is prolonged and there is no envisaged return to work in the foreseeable future, taking into consideration all medical evidence and the outcomes of the meetings with the employee, Human Resources and the Line Manager a further meeting will be held with the employee, and he/she will be notified that they may be dismissed due to medical capability. The employee will be advised that, should dismissal occur, they will be entitled to receive their full notice pay up to their contractual notice period and any outstanding holiday pay due for holidays not able to be taken due to illness, on termination at the Statutory level. A letter will be sent to the employee by the Human Resources department confirming the discussions / agreements reached.

Investigation For the purposes of an investigation prior to the Formal Hearing where dismissal due to medical capability is being considered, supportive action plans, notes of relevant attendance management meetings, medical evidence, medical certificates and the opinion of the employee and/or representatives at earlier Attendance Management meetings and any other relevant information will be considered as an investigation. Documentation to detail such considerations will be made available to all attendees at any Formal Hearing.

Formal Hearing - Capability This process is intended to be the final stage in the Attendance Management procedure.

Line Managers and Human Resources will follow the Attendance Management Procedure in line with the Equality Act 2010 and all other relevant legislation.

Any Hearing under the Attendance Management Procedure will be chaired by a member of SMT or the College Executive (with the exception of The Principal), and any decision to terminate the employment will be made taking into account medical opinion, and where relevant the opinion of the employee. At any such Hearing, the Chair will be accompanied by a member of the Human Resources team who will take meeting notes, ensure the

hearing is fair and provide support to make sure the full facts of the situation are elicited and the correct procedure is followed.

The employee must be given notice of the Formal Hearing in writing, including the reason for the Hearing, the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union representative and a warning that the potential outcome of the Hearing may be dismissal.

The employee will be given reasonable opportunity to respond to the letter, preferably in writing before the Hearing.

The Hearing will consider all evidence gathered in investigation. The employee should be given the opportunity to provide explanations during the Hearing.

It is a key principle that employees are treated fairly, equitably and dismissal will not occur until all other possibilities have been exhausted.

The outcome of any Formal Hearing will be notified to the employee in writing, detailing the decision taken and the right to appeal against any sanction issued.

The following sanctions can be considered at a Formal Hearing: a decision to take no further action an extension of any supportive action plan and review period consideration of redeployment an examination of possible reasonable adjustments dismissal a decision to invoke the disciplinary procedure The employee has the right to be accompanied by a Trade Union Representative or work colleague at any meeting under this procedure.

Formal Hearing - Capability Dismissal A decision to dismiss on the grounds of medical capability can only be taken by The Principal or a member of the College Executive.

Upon the termination of employment on medical capability grounds employees will be entitled to receive their contractual notice entitlement and any outstanding statutory holiday pay for holidays accrued and not taken due to illness.

Any member of staff dismissed on medical capability grounds will receive a reference, upon request from a third party, which reflects the fact that at the time of dismissal they were not capable of working due to medical capability.

Hopwood Hall College reserves the right to dismiss an employee whilst they are receiving sick pay entitlements. Any decision to dismiss will reflect medical opinion and will be a fair and equitable process and will follow the principles of the Disciplinary Procedure.

Phased Return to Work (following a period of long term sickness absence)

Where required to support an employee in achieving a sustained return to work, a phased return may be agreed between the employee, and their Line Manager with support as required from the Human Resources team, Health and Safety Manager and the Occupational Health. This is intended as a support programme and may involve a plan to reduce the workload or adjust the role of the employee returning to work from a protracted period of absence, for an agreed period of time. This agreed phasing back into work could be a reduction of days worked, hours worked, or an adjustment to the role undertaken. Each circumstance and situation will be considered separately and must be documented.

Any phased return plan will be made on the understanding that the employee will only receive a salary payment for days worked (as a full day’s pay) and any days not worked during the phased return period will be made up with Occupational Sick Pay, assuming there is entitlement remaining, alternatively the employee can take annual leave or unpaid leave. The Line Manager must ensure that the Online HR System is updated to reflect annual leave and / or unpaid leave taken in these circumstances.

Time off for Medical Appointments Medical appointments should be made, where possible, outside working hours. However, the College understands that in certain circumstances, it is not feasible and time off will therefore be granted at the Line Manager’s discretion. A section within the Leave policy refers to such events.

Evidence of all appointments must be provided in advance of the appointment e.g. appointment card or letter.

Payment during Absence All employees are entitled to receive statutory sick pay (SSP) providing that they meet the criteria set out in the Government regulations. SSP is paid at the rate specified by the Government which is reviewed annually, payable for a maximum of 28 weeks in one period.

Occupational sick pay (OSP) makes up the SSP payment to full pay until the entitlement is exhausted and then to half pay until that entitlement is exhausted as follows: Service

Sick Pay

1-4 months 4-12 months 12-24 months 24-36 months 36-60 months 5 years +

1 1 2 4 5 6

month full pay month full pay and 2 months half pay months full pay and 2 months half pay months full pay and 4 months half pay months full pay and 5 months half pay months full pay and 6 months half pay

Note: For the purpose of calculating entitlement to Occupational Sick Pay, 'one month' is equivalent to a calendar month.

The entitlement to occupational sick pay is based on a rolling year (12 month period). If full entitlement has been exhausted, no further payment will be made until the entitlement is accrued.

Sick pay (SSP and OSP) will be paid as long as employees follow the correct procedure as set out in this policy and procedure and submit the required documentation. The College maintains the right to withhold any such payments should the procedures not be adhered to.

Sickness Absence – Accidents Resulting in Insurance Claims If an employee is absent from work due to an accident for which they later submit an insurance claim against a third party which includes a claim for loss of earnings, where the employee receives and accepts payments from the College during this absence, they are receiving these payments in acceptance that they will be expected to refund the College on receipt of an insurance claim payout in relation to the accident which includes a payment for loss of earnings. On receipt of the repayment the College will remove this absence from the records in relation to sick pay entitlement – the absence will remain recorded for audit purposes.

The Payroll team (Human Resources) will ask the employee to sign an undertaking in relation to the above when they report absences caused by an accident involving / caused by a third party. If the employee fails to sign this undertaking a decision may be taken to cease any payments during any related sickness absence.

An employee who is absent from work due to an accident involving / caused by a third party is obliged to advise the College of this fact when they report their absence.

D

IMPLEMENTATION

This procedure is available to all staff on the Staff Intranet E

EVALUATION

This policy and procedure was Equality Impact Assessed on 24 March 2010.

Consultation has taken place with Unison, UCU and ACM in the development of this policy and procedure.

The policy and procedure will be reviewed mid 2011 to reflect the introduction of the Fit for Work certification in April 2010, and thereafter as necessary or every two years.

This Policy & Procedure was agreed and accept by the College Senior Management Team and the Corporation.

F

APPENDICES

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

– – – – – – –

Return to Work / Self Certification Form Absence Management Flow Diagram Short Term Absence Concerns Flow Diagram Long Term Absence Concerns Flow Diagram Template First letter to employee Template Supportive Action Plan Template HR Letter to send Supportive Action plan

Appendix 1 Self Certification & Return to Work Assessment [only to be completed in circumstance of personal sickness absence] SECTION A – SELF CERTIFICATION OF ABSENCE – TO BE COMPLETED BY EMPLOYEE

Employee’s name:

Curriculum Area / Service:

Line Manager’s name:

Date of Meeting:

First Day & Date of Illness:

Last Day & Date of Illness:

(include Saturday or Sunday if applicable)

(include Saturday or Sunday if applicable)

Nature of Illness:

Day & Date of Return to Work: (include Saturday or Sunday if applicable)

Was absence caused by Accident at Work / Industrial Disease? :

YES

NO

(If yes, please provide brief details on reverse)

I confirm that the information recorded on this form is correct and I wish to claim payment for the period of my sickness absence. I understand that full details about sickness absence reporting and sick pay are available on the staff intranet.

Signature:

Date: Employee

SECTION B – RETURN TO WORK ASSESSMENT – TO BE COMPLETED BY MANAGER / TEAM LEADER Does employee believe he/she is fully recovered?

Yes No If No, please provide brief details below Any remaining symptoms which may impact on work?

Yes

No

If Yes please provide brief details below

Does employee believe there is likely to be a recurrence?

Yes

No

If Yes, give brief details

Did employee comply with absence reporting procedure?

Yes

No

If No, give details below

Employee updated on work Issues arising during absence Any additional support required?

Yes Yes

No

Give brief details below If YES give brief details below

Additional notes / comments (continue overleaf if necessary)

Date of return to work assessment meeting: Return to work assessment completed by: Signature:

Date: Manager / Team Leader

Attendance Management Flowchart Employee absent

Appendix 2

Has employee notified line manager of reasons for absence?

Yes

Line Manager to record on Online HR System

No Disciplinary procedure

Report unauthorised absence to HR Does employee continue to be absent from work on consecutive days?

No

Line Manager to conduct a Return to Work interview

Yes

Line Manager to record on Online HR system

Yes Has employee made daily contact with Line Manager?

No Report unauthorised absence to HR Has absence continued for 7 days (including weekends)?

Disciplinary procedure

No

Line Manager to conduct a Return to Work interview & submit form to HR

Yes Has employee sent in a GP “Fit to Work” / Medical Certificate?

No

Yes

Line Manager to contact HR regarding support in returning to work

Report unauthorised absence to HR Is this absence now considered as long term absence (15+ days)

Line Manager to record on Online HR system

Disciplinary procedure

Yes

Contact HR to progress Absence Management Procedure

No Line Manager to continue contact with employee – following Short term absence management as per procedure

Absence Management Flow Diagram

Appendix 3

Persistent Short Term Absence from work Has the employee had 3 occasions of absence in a 12 month rolling period or 4%

Yes Is the employee absent and as per Attendance Management Policy – classed as Long Term Sick ?

Yes

see Appendix IV Contact HR

Yes

Continue to review for 6 months

No Short Term Absence: Line Manager to meet with Employee to discuss absence & agree supportive action plan

Line manager to continue to monitor employee absence and review supportive action plan throughout 6 month period. Have improvements been noted ?

No

Contact HR to discuss next steps.

Line manager to continue to monitor employee absence and review supportive action plan at 6 month period.

Have improvements been

No

Contact HR to discuss next steps.

Yes

Advise employee improvements have been noted. Support in maintaining acceptable levels of attendance.

Attendance Management Flow Diagram

Appendix 4

Long Term Absence

Is the employee absent, and – has this lasted for 15+ days ?

No

See appendix III

Yes

Refer to Occupational Health via HR department

Yes Is the employee absent with stress related illness?

No

Is employee likely to return in the short to medium term

Yes

No Work with employee, Occupational Health & HR to achieve return to work

Yes Is the absence ongoing with no foreseeable return to work ?

Yes Meet with employee to discuss with employee that Dismissal may be considered.

No

Continue to meet with employee – discuss adjustments and phased return to work – in line with recommendation from GP “Fit to Work” and any Occupational Health recommendation.

Template letter to Employee from Manager DATE

PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL NAME ADDRESS

Dear NAME Attendance Management Monitoring As I’m sure you are aware following the recent implementation of the Attendance Management Policy absence from work is monitored on a monthly basis and during the month of MONTH, it has been noted that you have been absent from work on # occasions / for # days / for #% of your working time in the last # months / for # days. This / these absence[s] have triggered the Attendance Management Policy and as such I am writing to invite you to a meeting to discuss this / these absence[s] with you in more detail. The meeting is scheduled to take place on DATE at TIME in LOCATION. The intention of this meeting is to ensure that we are taking all reasonable consideration to your health and well being, supporting you in the most appropriate manner and to ensure you maintain a high standard of attendance at work. You have the right to be accompanied to this meeting by a trade union representative or work colleague if you wish; please arrange this directly.

If you wish to find further information on the Attendance Management Procedure it can be located on the Staff Intranet under Depts & Services; Human Resources; Policies & Procedures. If you are unable to attend this meeting for any reason please do not hesitate to contact me on the number below.

Yours sincerely

LINE MANAGER JOB TITLE Tel: 0161 643 7560 (ext: EXT)

Appendix 5

Attendance Management Supportive Action Plan Name of employee:

Department:

Name of Line Manager:

Date of first meeting:

Date of 3 month review:

Date of 6 month review:

Description

Actions Required

Date Actions required

Responsibility of

Monitored by

Additional Comments: (please insert date comments recorded)

Signed by employee:

First Meeting:

3 month review:

6 month review:

Signed by line manager:

First Meeting:

3 month review:

6 month review:

Template letter to Employee from HR (Supportive Action Plan)

Appendix 7

DATE

PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL NAME ADDRESS

Dear NAME Attendance Management Meeting – Supportive Action Plan Thank you for attending the above meeting on DATE at which your line manager was present. I am writing now to outline the discussions held. During the meeting you discussed your recent absence[s] with your line manager and agreed (insert paragraph).

At the meeting you also agreed a supportive action plan and I have attached a copy of the plan signed by you at the meeting with this letter. You agreed to meet to review this supportive action plan on DATE at TIME in LOCATION with your Line Manager and I look forward to receiving an update at that time.

You have the right, if you so wish, to be accompanied at this meeting by a trade union representative or work colleague – you should arrange this directly.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding the content of the above or the attached supportive action plan please do not hesitate to contact me on the number below.

Yours sincerely

NAME HR Position Tel: 0161 643 7560 (ext: EXT) att: signed Supportive Action Plan

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