Skip to main content
Navigating Problems

Managing Employee Absence in the Workplace

Excellent 450 reviews on Trustpilot
I've received excellent support from the HR Dept. Everyone I've interacted with has been highly professional, knowledgeable, and consistently willing to help. In particular, Adam Wood has been incredibly supportive over the past six months, providing invaluable assistance on a range of projects
Olivia, 
We have used HR Dept for several years now. We have found them to be professional and responsive. The staff are always polite and friendly and over the years we have built a great relationship with them. We now feel they are part of our team!
Carole, 
HR Dept are always helpful, professional, and knowledgeable. Their advice is clear and practical, making HR challenges much easier to navigate. A fantastic and reliable service - thank you!
Georgie, 
Diane is an incredible HR Partner for businesses not ready for in-house. She’s calm, knowledgeable, and always had our back when it came to people matters — big or small. She made tricky situations feel manageable and gave us clear, no-nonsense advice we could trust. If you're looking for a friendly, professional, and genuinely great person to work with, I can't recommend Diane highly enough.
Ruth, 

Help with employee absence management

From experience, we know that a major concern for employers is how to handle absence. Short-term absence (sick leave) can be disruptive and unfair on other staff burdened with extra work. By introducing return-to-work sickness interviews and measuring tools, as well as training managers in using them, we can make a significant difference.

It’s important to note that long-term employee absence may well be due to an underlying issue caused by a disability. In these circumstances the individual is protected from workplace discrimination. Working with occupational health professionals, we can find reasonable adjustments and plan phased returns. And if this is not possible within a reasonable time-frame, terminate the employment legally, allowing you to recruit again.

Absence management causing a headache?

Business postcode

Your enquiry will be sent to your most local office, based on the business post code you enter

Data storage 
Health & Safety

We’ll also help you manage attendance

We can take your time and attendance management to the next level with our cutting-edge solutions.

Advanced and easy-to-use systems

Employee timekeeping can be a significant concern for employers. Especially in businesses that depend on a clocking-in system. Having nothing in place, or a weak solution, can encourage lateness and absenteeism, reduce productivity, cause stress to managers and affect employer-employee relations.

We can offer a hi-tech solution. It integrates seamlessly with your business and can be operated over multiple sites if necessary.

All employee data is stored on a secure server. It means the information recorded is safe and secure and can be easily used for payroll.

The system can be configured to allow staff to clock-in in six advanced ways:

  • Smartphone app

  • Phone

  • Fingerprint

  • Facial scan

  • Swipe card

  • Internet

All of the data in the system is stored in the cloud in real-time. It is accessible online, anywhere, at any time. There’s no need to install software, it’s a straight-out-of-the-box solution without the IT fuss that can distract you from the day-to-day running of your business.

Up next read more about disciplinaries and grievances.

Absence Management FAQ

If an employee refuses to allow you to ask their GP for a medical report you are entitled to take action on the basis of the information you have available.

We always recommend that your policy requires the person to call in personally where possible giving details of when they expect to be able to return to work and any work related issues that need attending to that day. Regular contact during absence is important.

If an employee is regularly late, it is your responsibility to let them know that this is something you have noticed. Find out the reasons and see if a solution can be found, for example starting later if it is a child care issue and making the time up with a shorter lunch break.

If an employee is absent, whether they are off sick for a few days or on long-term absence, it is important to communicate with them to understand their situation and when they plan on returning to work. This will also help you to manage your workforce and business operations and plan accordingly.

It is important to have a clear, easy-to-understand absence management policy in place from the outset. Return-to-work interviews are especially effective in managing absences because they deter bogus sicknesses. It is also crucially important for managers to communicate with employees and maintain an open dialogue so that conversations about absences are built on mutual trust between employer and employee. Recording all absence and setting improvement targets is an effective management tool.

Absences must be recorded so managers can monitor trends and spot instances where support from HR may be needed. Having robust data on employee absence will help to shape absence management and improve absences from the workplace in the long-run, which will in turn have a positive impact on business operations.

Other services you may be interested in

Contact your local HR experts