Frequent illness
If you’re often ill or off work, we will need to find out more about why this is happening, and then do what we can to help find a solution.
What counts as frequent illness?
- You’re away from work for more than 3 days in any 6-month period
- There’s a pattern of being away on the same day or days in a week, or around special occasions
If either of these apply, your manager will need to find out more. We understand that everyone goes through periods of short-term illness, but we need you to be clear and honest with us. It might be that your absence isn’t because you’re ill, but we still need to find out what’s going on.
We have a standard process for dealing with people who are ill or off work regularly. Following this helps us to do all we can to improve your attendance in the future.
Getting you back on track
Stage 1 – informal meeting
Your manager will set up a meeting to find out more about your situation. It’s important you attend meetings that your manager arranges.
Your manager will need to find out more about your reasons for being off work. They might ask you to see an occupational health adviser who specialises in the well-being of people at work. The health adviser will talk to you about any problems you’re facing and the reasons why you’re off work ill regularly. They may ask to see a medical report from your GP before writing up their report on your situation.
Your manager will talk through the health adviser’s report with you and agree a plan to review your situation regularly. If you need support at work because of health issues, your manager will do what they can to help you. For example, they might change your working pattern for a limited time or your role at work so your attendance can improve.
Your manager will arrange a follow up meeting to see whether you are back on track.
Stage 2 – formal meeting
If your absence hasn’t improved after the plan has been put into action, you’ll need to attend a formal meeting. You can take a work colleague with you or someone from your Union if you want to. If you haven't already spoken with occupational health, your manager might ask you to talk to a health adviser. Your manager will look at all the information and decide what to do next.
This could include reducing your work hours or bringing in special equipment to help you at work. We’ll follow our Health and Attendance policy and the Equality Act 2010 at every stage.
Your manager will arrange another follow up meeting to see if you're improving and decide what to do next.
Stage 3 – final options
If there is not enough improvement in your attendance, then your manager will either suggest changes to the arrangements brought in at Stage 2 or consider whether you need to stop working at the council. If we find out you’ve not been ill but still not been at work, then we will also need to follow our Conduct and Discipline Policy and you could receive a formal warning.