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Make Sure You Follow the Rules if You Have to be Absent From Work

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Published: 25Feb2012
Word count: 577
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When so many people are looking for work, unemployment rates continue to climb and when those in work are worried about keeping their jobs, any absence caused by minor illnesses or even family emergencies can make them feel even more vulnerable.

According to research from the CIPD, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development the most frequent causes of short term absence from work that have been recorded are for minor illnesses, like colds, flu, stomach upsets, headaches and migraines. Next most common are musculoskeletal injuries and back pain among manual employees and stress among non-manual workers.

Unexpected absence is not likely to be welcomed by an employer, especially when organisations have been operating with the minimum numbers of employees they think are needed to keep the company functioning smoothly and cost effectively in a difficult economic climate.

The absence of a member of the support team, such as a director's PA or EA, can be disruptive, but provided the employee has followed all the correct company procedures an unexpected absence does not need to put a job at risk.

Most companies have a system in place for recording and managing unexpected absences and they usually include return-to-work interviews, trigger mechanisms to review attendance, giving sickness absence information to line managers and even disciplinary procedures for unacceptable absence.

It is therefore important for an employee to make sure that the company has been kept fully informed of the reasons for absence.

The first thing an employee should do if to call their employer, if possible within an hour of their normal start time, to explain what has happened and why they are unable to be at work.

If their return to work is within seven days or less, the employer will require written confirmation explaining the absence. This is called self certification and some employers have their own forms for this.

After seven days the employee must see their GP if they are not yet well enough to return to work. Failure to do so is a breach of the employee's legal duty. While GPs no longer provide a certificate signing a patient off work this has been replaced by what is called a Fit Note.

In it the GP will detail how long the patient is expected to continue to be unfit for work and, if necessary, any issues the employer should take into account for the recovery period when they may be able to return to work but are not quite fully fit.

Employees should be aware that most employers document their absences from work and are likely to check their records for other short absences and also for any previous disciplinary hearings.

On their return to work they may expect to have a return-to-work interview with their manager, especially if the absence was for less than seven days and could be classified as unauthorised. This is why it is important to have kept in touch with work and provided an adequate explanation such as illness or bereavement to explain their absence.

If an employee has behaved considerately and correctly in keeping their employer informed and there is a written record and if they did not have a past history of unauthorised short absences then the written record should not be usable as evidence for future dismissal.

Absence from work at short notice through minor illness can be disruptive for senior managers rely on their PAs and EAs. The employee should make sure they let their boss know as soon as possible and follow all the correct company procedures. By Ali Withers.

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