Manage absence and sickness

Good businesses ensure they have appropriate systems in place to manage unexpected staff absences. Such absences affect productivity and profits and, if they become a regular occurrence, are likely to lower morale and motivation.

However, you can improve absence rates and minimise the impact of absence by putting effective employment policies and procedures in place. These should be backed up by agreeable working conditions, active management, and good motivation.

Monitoring and investigating the causes of employee absence can also help you identify factors contributing to absence levels, eg workload demands, unsafe work practices, or work relationships.

This guide will help you to understand the causes of unexpected absence, monitor and measure the effect of absence rates, and set up the right policies and procedures to control it.