Managing repeated absence causes issues for most managers. Your working environment depends on having all of your employees working at their expected capacity and when one person is repeatedly missing it not only affects productivity and efficiency, it also builds up resentment in the remaining employees.

(1) Triggers

ACAS recommends setting up trigger points to spot repeated absences such as, for example, if an employee has four separate absences. However, you need to be careful here to avoid

• the trigger for absences due to maternity, paternity, adoption or parental leave
• discrimination, because it may highlight; someone receiving regular treatment; a disability (you must make sure that the employee is not disadvantaged because of disability and scheduling time off for treatment will be regarded as a reasonable adjustment)

(2) Analyse the absence

Employees are entitled to be off work for a number of reasons including holidays and public duties. Make sure that you initially analyse an individual’s absence for any patterns of behaviour.

Doing this may enable you to see, for example, whether they are avoiding something (e.g. they are always off for 2 days at the month end)? However, it could also indicate a pattern of treatment for an illness that an employee has not yet discussed with you. Either way, you have the basis of a discussion with the employee.

(3) Intervention and communication

As soon as repeated absence triggers are identified you must intervene and talk to the employee. Delaying taking action will only make things worse. ACAS research has shown that early intervention and good communication are keys to successfully tackling repeated absences.

Tip
Avoid assuming that there is anything other than an absolutely legitimate reason for repeated absence. It is your role to find out whether there is a problem so that you can help the employee to deal with it.

(4) Return to Work interview

As we’ve already discussed in another post, this interview is a useful tool for any manager so use it to the  advantage of both you and the employee.

(5) Causes

Intervention, communication and the Return to Work interview will help you to establish the causes of repeated absences. ACAS research indicates four main issues of repeated absence:

• existing medical condition (the employee may feel both vulnerable and sensitive)
• work stress
• inability/incapacity to do the job
• domestic/ personal difficulties (such as relationship issues)

Tip

Remember the limits of your role here which should be to encourage the employee to seek medical or other professional help (relevant to the issues involved).

(6) Take Action

Dependant on the cause of the repeated absences you will need to take action which will usually be

• helping the employee deal with any illness and consequent treatment
• complying with your legal duties to ensure that you make any reasonable adjustments for disability
• providing training when an employee has a performance problem
• signposting to external professional help (such as if there are relationship problems)
• help to facilitate a work-life balance (such as flexible working) when possible
• following your disciplinary policy where you feel that the absences do not relate to genuine reasons/sickness

(7) Prevention – updating your policy

Your sickness/absence policy is vital in this situation and you may feel that you now need to make changes. For example, you may decide to impose stricter monitoring before and after holidays or firming up when and how the employee notifies you of any absence.

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