Sickness absence policy

About this policy

This policy sets out our arrangements for sick pay and for reporting and managing sickness absence.

Abuse of sickness absence, including failing to report absence or falsely claiming sick pay, will be treated as misconduct under our disciplinary procedure.

This policy does not form part of any employee's contract of employment, and we may amend it at any time.

Reporting when you are sick

If you cannot attend work because you are sick or injured, you should contact your manager as early as possible, and no later than 30 minutes after the time when you are normally expected to start work.

If you do not promptly hear back from your manager, you should try to contact them via any and all other methods of communication available to you — instant messaging, SMS, chat, email, and mobile phone.

Evidence of incapacity

You must complete a self-certification form for sickness absence of up to seven calendar days.

For absences of more than one week, you must obtain a certificate from your doctor stating that you are not fit for work, giving the reason. You must also complete a self-certification form to cover the first seven days. If absence continues beyond the expiry of a certificate, a further certificate must be provided.

If your doctor provides a certificate stating that you "may be fit for work," you must inform your manager immediately. We will hold a discussion with you about how to facilitate your return to work, taking account of your doctor's advice. If appropriate measures cannot be taken, you will remain on sick leave and we will set a date for review.

Statutory sick pay

You may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you satisfy the relevant statutory requirements. Qualifying days for SSP are Monday to Friday, or as set out in your employment contract.

The rate of SSP is set by the government in April each year. No SSP is payable for the first three consecutive days of absence. It starts on the fourth day of absence and may be payable for up to 28 weeks.

Company sick pay

After successfully completing your probationary period, you will qualify for company sick pay, provided you comply with this policy and any further requirements set out in your contract. Company sick pay is inclusive of any statutory sick pay.

Company sick pay is equal to your full basic salary for up to 15 days’ absence in any 12-month period.

Company sick pay is paid at our discretion, and we may amend or withdraw the scheme at any time.

Return-to-work interviews

After a period of sick leave, your manager may hold a return-to-work interview with you. The purposes of this interview may include, but are not limited to:

• ensuring you are fit for work and agreeing any actions necessary to facilitate your return;
• confirming you have submitted the necessary certificates;
• updating you on anything that may have happened during your absence;
• raising any other concerns regarding your absence record or your return to work.

Managing long-term or persistent absence

The following paragraphs set out our procedure for dealing with long-term absence, or where your level or frequency of short-term absence has given us cause for concern. The purpose of the procedure is to investigate and discuss the reasons for your absence, whether it is likely to continue or recur, and whether there are any measures that could improve your health and/or attendance. We may decide that medical evidence, or further medical evidence, is required before deciding on a course of action.

We will notify you in writing of the time, date and place of any meeting, and why it is being held. We will usually give you a week's notice of the meeting. Meetings will be conducted by the Managing Director. You may bring a companion to any meeting or appeal meeting under this procedure. Your companion may be either a trade union representative; or a colleague, who will be allowed reasonable paid time off from duties to act as your companion. If you or your companion cannot attend at the time specified you should let us know as soon as possible and we will try, within reason, to agree an alternative time.

If you have a disability, we will consider whether reasonable adjustments may need to be made to the sickness absence meetings procedure, or to your role or working arrangements.

Medical examinations

We may ask you to consent to a medical examination by a doctor or occupational health professional or other specialist nominated by us (at our expense). You will be asked to agree that any medical report produced may be disclosed to us, and that we may discuss the contents of the report with the specialist and with our advisers. All medical reports will be kept confidential and held in accordance with our data protection policy.

Initial sickness absence meeting

The purposes of a sickness absence meeting or meetings will be to discuss the reasons for your absence, how long it is likely to continue, whether it is likely to recur, whether to obtain a medical report, and whether there are any measures that could improve your health and/or attendance.

In cases of long-term absence, we may seek to agree a return-to-work programme, possibly on a phased basis.

In cases of short-term, intermittent absence, we may set a target for improved attendance within a certain timescale.

If matters do not improve

If, after a reasonable time, you have not been able to return to work, or if your attendance has not improved within the agreed timescale, we will hold a further meeting or meetings. We will seek to establish whether the situation is likely to change, and may consider redeployment opportunities at that stage. If it is considered unlikely that you will return to work, or that your attendance will improve within a short time, we may give you a written warning that you are at risk of dismissal. We may also set a further date for review.

Final sickness absence meeting

Where you have been warned that you are at risk of dismissal, and the situation has not changed significantly, we will hold a meeting to consider the possible termination of your employment. Before we make a decision, we will consider any matters you wish to raise, and whether there have been any changes since the last meeting.

Appeals

You may appeal against the outcome of any stage of this procedure. If you wish to appeal, you should set out your appeal in writing to the Managing Director, stating your grounds of appeal, within one week of the date on which the decision was sent or given to you.

If you are appealing against a decision to dismiss you, we will hold an appeal meeting, normally within two weeks of receiving the appeal. This will be dealt with impartially and, where possible, by a more senior manager who has not previously been involved in the case.

We will confirm our final decision in writing, usually within one week of the appeal hearing. There is no further right of appeal.

The date that any dismissal takes effect will not be delayed pending the outcome of an appeal. However, if the appeal is successful, the decision to dismiss will be revoked with no loss of continuity or pay.