Approximately 185.6 million working days were lost due to sickness or injury in 2022 - that's a lot of ill people and empty offices, and was the highest sickness absence rate recorded since 2004.
By being aware of the possible reasons for sickness absence, you may be able to keep one step ahead.
What are the main causes of sickness absence?
– Back pain
– Minor illness (such as flu or a stomach bug)
– Stress (often due to work)
– Recurring medical condition (which you should be aware of from having employees complete a medical questionnaire)
– Acute, unexpected medical condition (e.g. burst appendix, heart attack)
– Broken limbs
What does the law say about sickness absence?
- Employees must provide a sick note from a doctor after 7 consecutive days off sick
- If they are ill just before, or during, any annual leave they have booked off then they can take it as sick leave instead
- You can ask employees to complete a ‘self-certification’ form when they return to work if they’ve been off sick for up to 7 days
- To qualify for Statutory Sick Pay, your employee must have been ill for at least four consecutive days (including non-working days), earn at least an average of £123 a week and inform you that they’re sick before any deadline you have put in place
- You can put your own sick pay scheme in place and it must be included in employee contracts
How much is statutory sick pay?
As of Thursday 6 April 2023 Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is £109.40 a week, increasing from £99.35 a week. This must be paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks.
How we can help you manage sickness absence
Sickness absence is unavoidable – on average, a typical adult worker will have 4 sick days’ a year.
This means that it is imperative that you have a clear and compliant policy in place to manage sick leave and reduce the risk of it becoming a massive HR issue.
Our HR consultants can assist with this and any queries you may have regarding sickness absence… maybe an employee has been off ill for a couple of weeks or an employee who is off sick too regularly, then we are the people to turn to.
Our HR consultants can be your first line of contact when issues like this arise. We can:
- Create and implement a bespoke sickness absence policy that works for your company
- Advise on the best course of action to take when an employee isn’t following your sick leave policy
- Sit in on any return to work meetings or consultation meetings if an employee is seen to be taken extensive sickness absence
- Assist in calculating Statutory Sick Pay or setting up a company sick pay scheme
- Keep you updated as and when the law on sickness absence changes
Our HR consultants can be your first line of contact when issues like this arise, so give us a call on 0845 2626 260 to find out more about our services
