It is always advisable to have an up to date sickness absence policy within your staff handbook, providing a ‘trigger point’ for such absences, or series of absences, to be dealt with formally and in accordance with the procedure set out in the policy.
Do you have a staff handbook?
Is it up to date?
Does it contain an accurate sickness absence policy?
What is long term sickness absence?
There is no definition of long term sickness in law but it is often thought of as any period of continued absence lasting 28 days or more (or 4 weeks).
What to consider when dealing with long term sickness absence
There are many things to think about, including but not limited to, reasonable adjustments, occupational health reports and the input of medical experts, as well as calculating the risk of any decision that is made.
The most important thing about this, is to ensure you are following the correct processes and are being fair and reasonable in all the circumstances. Don’t guess, or make any decisions on a whim, and always, always seek legal advice!
Reach out to us and we can help you get managing long-term sickness right!
Email us: hello@peachlaw.co.uk
Connect with us: on LinkedIn – Peach Law (HR & Employment Law Specialists)
Call us: 0161 478 3800
