Managing absence – 5 simple tips
Managing absence is difficult, employees taking time away from work, while often inconvenient and costly, is an unavoidable part of running a company. Managing absence is key to maintaining continuity, supporting employees, and sustaining team morale. Absence management is when employers have processes and policies in place to help deal with employee absences and to keep absence levels to a minimum. An attendance management procedure creates a framework for managing employee sickness absence and sets clear boundaries for employees. Effective strategies for managing employee absence involve clear absence policies, proactive support for employee well-being, consistent monitoring of absence levels, and effective communication.
However, while employee absence can’t be avoided – it can be managed and have less of an impact on your business. With that goal in mind, here are 5 tips for better absence management:
Creating an absence policy
A clear and comprehensive absence policy is the foundation for managing employee sickness absence effectively. Not only does it set out expectations for both employees and managers, but it also helps ensure that everyone is treated fairly and consistently, supporting both wellbeing and productivity across your organisation.
When developing your absence policy, it’s important to define what counts as sickness absence, distinguishing between short term absence and long term absence. This clarity helps employees understand when and how to report their absence, and what support is available to them. Make sure your policy outlines the exact steps for reporting sickness absence, including who to notify, how to get in touch (such as by phone or email), and any required notice periods.
Sick pay entitlement is another key area—be transparent about what employees can expect in terms of pay during periods of sickness absence, including any statutory or company sick pay, and how long this support will last. This helps manage expectations and reduces confusion during what can be a stressful time.
Return-to-work interviews are a valuable tool for supporting employees as they come back to work. These meetings give managers a chance to check in, identify any underlying reasons for absence, and discuss whether any workplace support or adjustments are needed. This approach not only helps improve attendance but also demonstrates your commitment to supporting employees’ health and wellbeing.
Your absence policy should also highlight the support available to staff, such as access to occupational health, employee assistance programmes, or counselling services. For employees with caring responsibilities or ongoing health conditions, consider including flexible working options—these can help reduce sickness absence rates and support a better work-life balance.
Making reasonable adjustments is essential, especially for employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Your policy should make it clear that the organisation will consider reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act, helping to prevent disability discrimination and support a successful employee return to work.
It’s also important to set out how unauthorised absence will be managed, including the potential for formal disciplinary action. This ensures that all employees are fully aware of the consequences of poor attendance or failing to follow reporting procedures, helping to maintain consistent standards across the team.
Regularly reviewing and updating your absence policy is best practice, ensuring it remains compliant with legal updates and reflects any changes in your organisation or wider employment law. Providing training for line managers on how to manage absence effectively—including how to conduct return-to-work interviews, identify underlying causes, and support staff—will help ensure your policy is applied fairly and consistently.
By putting a robust absence policy in place and supporting managers with practical tools and training, you can manage absence effectively, improve team dynamics, and create a positive, supportive workplace where employees feel valued and able to perform at their best.
Consider every type of sickness absence
There are different kinds of absence, with each presenting its own set of challenges. This includes annual leave, short and long-term sickness absence, stress leave, maternity and paternity leave, and life absences – such as bereavement leave. Absence management policies should clearly define types of leave, establish consistent reporting procedures, and outline the support employers will provide to employees throughout the process.
To start, identify the types of absence your business has encountered most and is likely to face in the future, then create a management strategy for each. This should include how the absence leaves your company vulnerable, what you can do to prevent and/or deal with it when it arises, and, crucially, how to best support the affected employee. It is important to have a process for dealing with frequent absence, which may involve meetings held with employees to discuss attendance patterns and agree on next steps to address any issues. In such cases, it may be necessary to conduct formal meetings to address underlying issues and agree on a plan of action.
Encourage staff to take time off
Employees becoming unnecessarily burnt out is the cause of a lot of absence, so you should encourage them to take frequent time away from work. Employers should focus on supporting managers to encourage staff to take time off and maintain a healthy work-life balance. One way of achieving this is developing a workplace culture in which staff don’t feel guilty about taking their entire annual leave allowance. Employers can also replace separate sick and vacation time with flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) pools, allowing employees to manage their own vitality. It’s important to foster a culture where employees feel safe to discuss the reasons for their absence without fear of punishment, helping to uncover underlying issues.
However, you may need to be proactive with particular employees: taking a look at their habits in regard to taking time off and actually prescribing leave if you feel that break from work would improve their wellbeing and productivity.
Promote healthy habits
In effort to curb sickness absence, promote being healthy. This could include subsiding gym subscriptions, providing filtered water and fresh fruit, and arranging discounts with healthy food vendors. More creative ways to encourage a healthier lifestyle include some kind of bonus for employees that take fewer sick days and rewarding those that manage to quit smoking.
Promoting healthy habits can help prevent illness and improve attendance across your team. Workplace adjustments, such as flexible working hours or ergonomic changes, can support employees with health conditions and facilitate a smooth return to work after illness. Integrating Employee Assistance Programmes and mental health resources can address the root causes of absence, while investing in initiatives that support physical and mental health—such as EAPs and stress management workshops—can further reduce sickness absence. Holistic wellness programs should include 24/7 mental health support and online GP services to prevent long-term absence. Personalised wellbeing plans can significantly improve employee engagement and retention.
Not only are you far more likely to prevent absence through short and long-term sickness, stress, and injury but there’s a strong likelihood they’ll be happier and more productive at work.
Create flexible working practices
Offering flexible working options, such as remote working or flexi-time, provide an alternative to absence, helping to manage it as a result. Managers should lead the implementation of flexible working practices and ensure that each person’s unique circumstances are considered when making adjustments. It allows employees to work around their difficulties: Instead of calling in sick when they’re feeling under the weather, they can work at home, remaining productive. Similarly, if an employee needs a few hours to deal with something, on short notice, they can start earlier that day – or make up the time elsewhere.
Establishing a non-punitive process for checking in on employees returning from long-term leave can help identify any needed adjustments or support. Compassionate leadership is essential for promoting staff health and preventing avoidable absence. Investing in line manager training improves the adoption of holistic approaches to employee wellbeing.
Communicate with your employees
One of the most underrated methods of managing absence is better communication with staff. Managing an employee’s absence effectively involves regular communication and support, which can help maintain a positive connection and facilitate their return to work.
Managers should demonstrate fair and consistent application of absence management policies across all departments to avoid claims of discrimination and ensure lawful, supportive HR practices. Seeking advice from occupational health or medical professionals can help determine the best approach to manage sickness absence, especially in complex cases. Employers should seek medical advice to establish the medical position and health of their employee when managing sickness absence, particularly for long-term or frequent short term sickness absence.
Return-to-work meetings are effective in reducing short-term sickness absence and reassuring employees that they are valued. Utilizing AI assistants to flag emerging absence patterns and prompt early check-ins can help manage sickness absence proactively. Regular check-ins with employees during their absence can help maintain a supportive connection and facilitate their return to work.
Employers must maintain accurate records of sickness absences, including the reason for absence and conversations with the employee. Inconsistent handling of sickness absence can lead to grievances and reputational harm for employers. Employers should conduct return-to-work meetings after every sickness absence to reassure employees and check their wellbeing. Employers are advised to approach an employee’s absence as a capability issue if there is an underlying medical condition that could lead to frequent absences. Applying absence management rules uniformly helps prevent bias and conflict while allowing for discretion for genuine challenges.
Now, while an employee that’s been absent for more than 3 consecutive days is often interviewed by management upon their return. This allows HR to determine if they’re fit to work and if they’re likely to be away any longer.
Such employees are easy to pinpoint, but others, like those who periodically call in sick, can go about undetected until something drastic happens that results in a long absence. It’s possible that these employees have an issue, bubbling just beneath the surface, that could be preventing from boiling over with an earnest conversation: simply mention that you’ve noticed their frequent sick days and wondered if there’s any way you can help.
On one hand, it may be nothing but there’s also every chance that your show of concern makes all the difference, leading to your employee confiding in you that they’ve been struggling. Something as simple as allowing them to work from home once or twice a week, for example, could make a world of difference to an employee on the verge of burnout.
