Absence Management
Absence Management
Following the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025, with effect from April 2026, employee eligibility for receiving Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be from day one of sickness absence. The previous requirement for three waiting days has been removed. Eligibility for SSP will also extend to lower earners, with the removal of the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL). Employees will be entitled to payment of SSP or 80% of weekly earnings, whichever is the lower.
This makes it the perfect time to review your Absence Management Policy, particularly in respect of persistent short-term absences (frequent absences of a few days) and one short-term absence (usually regarded as an absence of up to four weeks).
Fact: The average level of sickness absence in the UK amounts to 9.4 working days per employee a year (2025 data). This is the highest reported level for over a decade across all sectors.
As well as the cost to the business, sickness absence should be monitored to enable issues to be identified and a consistent procedure applied. Formal action should be used as a last resort and only taken when employees are persistently absent without good cause. Persistent short-term absence due to pregnancy should be disregarded for the purpose of formal action. Where an employee has a disability, flexibility with trigger points and appropriate informal discussions should take place prior to considering any formal action.
Procedures for Short Term Absence Control should be clear and include:
- A clear Absence from Work Policy to ensure absence is dealt with in a consistent manner. All employees should be aware of the location and content of the policy to ensure adherence to required standards of attendance and absence reporting.
- Sickness reporting in line with company procedure, which may include contacting an appropriate manager or HR by phone, to allow for work reallocation and identifying any support required by the employee. Agree an appropriate level of contact during absence (this is usually set out in a contract of employment) and check if the absence is work related.
- A return-to-work interview. When held consistently as a matter of routine, these may discourage non-genuine absence, whilst also providing an opportunity to ensure the employee is fit to return to their role and to discuss any support which may be required. The discussion should be held confidentially, be open, supportive and constructive.
- Use of occupational health and medical support where appropriate, to include any potential phased return to work, obtaining medical reports and discussing and/or implementing reasonable adjustments.
- Application of policy on the provision of Fit Notes and completion of self-certification forms. (Again, this should be set out in contracts of employment).
- Ensuring employees are fully aware of their level of sickness and when this may be putting their role at risk.
- Monitoring of absence levels and patterns, such as frequent sickness on Mondays/Fridays or other regular intervals.
- Trigger points: When reached, take appropriate action in line with absence policy.
- Agreeing outcomes and actions, along with timescales for improvement.
- Explain next steps, which may include a formal process, if required improvement is insufficient/does not happen, or is not maintained.
- Retention of accurate records of discussions on employee files, in line with General Data Protection Requirements (GDPR).
Implementing and following a consistent absence procedure will greatly assist in ensuring a happy and healthy working environment, which fosters trust between employees and managers.
Blog by Joy Sheen
Contact Us
BarwellsHR are here to support you in ensuring your policies are up to date and effective, along with providing friendly expert guidance on any absence issues as and when they may arise.
BarwellsHR Team:
Jenny Reardon – Head of BarwellsHR – 01323 435494 – jenny.reardon@barwells.com
Lynn Marlow – HR Adviser – 01323 435493 – lynn.marlow@barwells.com
Joy Sheen – HR Adviser – 01323 435492 – joy.sheen@barwells.com
Offices in Eastbourne, Hailsham, Newhaven, Peacehaven & Seaford
