Guide to absence improvement

Guide to absence improvement

Purpose

This guide equips managers with clear, fair and supportive steps to address attendance concerns. It promotes open communication, early support and reasonable adjustments while maintaining accountability.

Outcome

Where this guide is followed and, despite reasonable support and opportunities to improve, attendance does not improve to an acceptable and sustained level, dismissal may be a reasonable outcome following a fair process.

Core Principles

• Consistency: Apply the Absence Improvement Policy and review points consistently across teams. This avoids perceptions of unfair treatment and builds trust in the process.

• Support first: Explore health, personal or work-related factors and consider reasonable adjustments before moving to formal measures. Employees should feel that the organisation is committed to helping them improve.

• Good records: Keep accurate notes of all conversations, medical evidence, agreed actions, and review dates. These records form the evidence base for any further action.

• Confidentiality: Handle health information sensitively and lawfully. Only share details with those who need to know, in line with GDPR and company policy.

Practical Steps

• Clear reporting: Ensure employees know who to contact, by what time, and through what method (e.g., phone call to manager by 9am). Provide a written absence reporting procedure and reinforce it during inductions and team briefings.

• Return-to-work (RTW) interviews: Conduct a RTW discussion after every period of absence, no matter how short. Use a standard RTW form to capture details such as the reason for absence, fitness to return, and any support needs. Where patterns emerge, use this as a discussion point.

• Support mechanisms: Signpost employees to relevant resources such as Occupational Health referrals, counselling, mental health first aiders, Employee Assistance Programmes, or flexible working policies. Ensure managers are aware of the full range of support available to their team.

• Data and trends: Regularly review absence reports at team and departmental level. Look for patterns (e.g., recurring absences on Mondays, specific seasonal trends, or repeated short-term sickness). Use this information to decide whether targeted interventions or wellbeing initiatives are needed.

Identifying a Concern

Managers should decide whether supportive intervention is needed when:

• a series of absences occurs (e.g., three or more short-term absences within a set period), and/or

• a review point is reached following a longer period of absence, as set out in the policy (e.g., four weeks continuous absence or trigger points defined in absence thresholds).

Where a concern is identified, managers should prepare for a meeting by reviewing attendance records, RTW notes, and any previous discussions or support offered.

Discussing a Concern

Hold a timely, private conversation with the employee. This should take place as soon as possible after the concern has been identified, ideally within a week. The depth of the discussion will depend on the circumstances, including whether a review point has been met.

Frequent short-term absence can indicate an underlying medical condition. Use the discussion to explore the cause, its impact on work and what support or adjustments might help. Absences may also signal other difficulties; the conversation gives employees the chance to raise concerns in a safe setting.

Key Considerations for the Discussion

• Set expectations: Clearly explain that attendance levels are giving cause for concern. Use factual data (e.g., number of days absent, frequency of absences) and explain the impact on the team and business.

• Explore reasons: Invite the employee to share any health or personal issues. Where medical evidence is appropriate, request a Fit Note or consider an Occupational Health referral. If a disability is identified, ensure that the Equality Act 2010 obligations are considered.

• Stress indicators: If stress is raised, complete a stress risk assessment jointly with the employee to identify triggers and practical solutions. (Stress risk assessment – model form)

• Adjustments and support: Discuss adjustments such as phased return, flexible start times, changes in duties, reduced hours, or workplace aids. Agree a plan in writing and review its effectiveness regularly.

• Policy clarity: Provide the employee with a copy of the Managing Attendance Policy and explain how the Absence Improvement Process works. Make sure they understand the review points and possible next steps if improvement is not achieved.

• Agree monitoring: Where appropriate, set a defined monitoring period (e.g., 8–12 weeks) with clear improvement expectations. Schedule interim reviews and confirm these in writing. In some cases, advise that failure to improve may lead to a formal hearing.

Monitoring a Concern

• Observe attendance: Monitor attendance closely during the set review period. Use absence data to track improvements or continued issues, and review progress at agreed intervals.

• Review adjustments: Check whether any adjustments or support measures are working. If they are ineffective, discuss alternatives or escalate support with HR/OH involvement.

• Document progress: Keep clear written records of monitoring discussions, agreed actions, and employee responses. Share copies with the employee so expectations and progress are transparent.

Outcomes

• Improvement achieved: If attendance improves and is sustained, conclude the Absence Improvement Process and manage the employee as normal. Confirm this outcome in writing.

• Partial or no improvement / further triggers: If attendance shows limited or no improvement, extend the monitoring period, explore further adjustments, or escalate to a formal hearing under the policy.

• Final stage: If, after a fair process with reasonable adjustments and sufficient time, attendance remains unsatisfactory, a formal outcome up to and including dismissal may be appropriate. This should only occur following a formal hearing with the right of appeal.