BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1. It is
almost inevitable that at some time individuals will need to absent themselves
from work as a result of illness and for related reasons. This should not be a problem provided
that certain basic rules are followed and that the cause and extent of the
absence are reasonable. The school
should, however, take steps to reduce absence to an absolute minimum and to
ensure that all absences are fully justified.
2.
The
penalties for not managing absence may seem obvious, as the immediate effects
are problems which need to be resolved in the short term. There are, however, other less obvious
but potentially more damaging effects:
(a) All absence can be expensive either in
the cost of replacement staff or in the impact on student progress, cost of
lost work, missed deadlines and the like.
Excessive absence can also result in a damaging loss in confidence and
credibility with students and parents / carers, as well as others receiving a
poor service.
(b)
Less
obvious are the effect on other staff who may well suffer from:
i. Disruption
of work flow.
ii.
Undue
and unfair pressure whilst providing ÕcoverÕ.
iii.
Bad
feeling against the individual for taking advantage of the situation.
iv.
Loss
of confidence in management for not resolving the problem.
v.
In very
extreme cases a breakdown in discipline, for instance through Ôcopy catÕ
absences.
3. It is, therefore, essential that all
line managers take an active role in the management of absence and take all
reasonable measure to be aware of the situation in general, of potential
problems and, where necessary, to take action to resolve them. It is, however, important that the appropriate action is taken. Absence in itself is not a breach of
the rules but can indicate a number of things that the line manager must assess
and take into account:
-
It can
be a real but temporary illness.
-
It can
be an indication of a serious medical condition
-
However
it can also be an indication of:
o
Poor
morale in the individual or the group.
o
A
disciplinary problem.
o
A
motivational problem.
o
A
misunderstanding or ignorance of the rules.
4. All
of these are possible and inevitably it will fall to the Line Manager (eg, SLT,
Head of Department, Manager) to assess the problem and its true cause and to
seek an appropriate solution. The
basic principle of resolving problems at the earliest possible stage and at the
lowest possible level should always be applied. It should be borne in mind that many problems are delicate
and of real concern to the individual involved.
5. There are a number of practical measures that can be
used by line managers to minimise absence problems and to provide information
to aid the solution of those that do occur. There are also a number of requirements in terms or
reporting and in relation to entitlements and benefits.
BEFORE EMPLOYMENT / APPOINTMENT
6. It is obviously better to be aware
of potential health and absence problems before an appointment is made,
however, at interview only health related questions which are intrinsic to the
job applied for can be asked.
It is reasonable that the schoolÕs philosophy on absence management is
made aware to all prospective applicants.
FOLLOWING
OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT / ON APPOINTMENT
7. An offer of employment will be made
subject to satisfactory medical clearance by the Occupational Health Unit,
therefore, the successful candidate will:
(a) Be required to complete form Med 1 which will be received
with the Offer Letter, so that confirmation is received that they are medically
fit to undertake the role offered and that any medical conditions which may
impact in the future are disclosed.
(b) Be informed of the rules
regarding absence and the reporting requirements associated with them.
Entitlements to sick leave must be clarified to avoid confusion at a later
date.
(c) If the individual has
supervisory responsibility, the organisationÕs arrangements for recording and
monitoring absence and methods for reducing its incidence should be made
clear. This may include elements
within an individualÕs job description and personal performance targets.
DURING EMPLOYMENT
8. (a)
The employee
must:
i. Notify the Cover Supervisor and your Line
Manager, on the first day of absence, of
the reason for and likely duration of your absence by telephone personally
before 7.45am using the Cover Line 01452 509237 [24 hour answer phone available
so please leave an appropriate message].
ii. Contact the Cover Supervisor and your
Line Manager on every day of the absence, by telephone personally, unless it is
agreed that this is not necessary.
If possible, please telephone during the day you are off to say if you
are likely to be in be the following day or not.
iii. Complete a self-certification form (available
from the Cover Supervisor or from the Staff Room) for any absence lasting up to
and including 7 calendar days. See copy of self-certification form, for
information purposes, at end of policy.
iv. On the 8th calendar day,
and until the return to work, provide medical certificates to fully cover all the
absence.
v. Keep the Cover Supervisor and your Line
Manager informed of progress and expected date of return.
vi. On return to duty, notify your line
manager (or in the case of the Headteacher, the Chair of Governors), completion
a self-certification form, attend a Return to Work discussion.
(b) The Cover Supervisor should:
i.
Note
the commencement and reason for absences, and continue to monitor on-going
cases.
ii.
Complete
the Personal Details of the Absence Declaration Form and place in the
appropriate Line ManagerÕs pigeon hole.
iii. Ensure the relevant Department is already aware of the absence and ensure, in the case of a teacher absence, that cover is arranged.
iv. Ensure that regular monthly absence returns are completed for payroll purposes and filed together with medical certificates where necessary
v.
Maintain
accurate and complete absence records, within the SIMS database, for all staff
and review these records periodically.
vi.
Use
this information to identify problems and take the appropriate action.
Please note that it is the
responsibility of the employee to always ensure that planned cover work has been
provided which is stored in a central location accessible by the Head of
Department. Where possible,
a ÒbankÓ of cover work needs to be created to ensure appropriate and suitable
resources are available for students during periods of emergency absence.
(c) The
line manager must complete a staff absence return each week for all absent
staff.
DEFINITION
OF UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF ABSENCE
9. The
definition of what constitutes an appropriate action in any given situation
will vary considerably depending on the person, the post and the circumstances
in each case. As with pupils, our target
is 100% attendance, however the following is intended as general guidance.
10. This is obviously very difficult to define; in the economy as a whole a national survey undertaken by the CBI found that employees take around 7 days sickness per year. For non-manual worker this produces an average of 5 days and for manual workers around 9 days.
SHORT
TERM ABSENCES
11. Short-term absences are normally regarded as those that
extend for 2 weeks or less. The
instances which represent the greatest difficulty are those which involve a
series of minor and unconnected illnesses bearing no relation to each other,
but which take the employee off work on a frequent but intermittent basis. The
County CouncilÕs Occupational Health Practitioners take the view that in any 12
month period, 8 days taken over 3 or 4 separate occasions warrants close
scrutiny.
INFORMAL
ACTION
12. Individuals should as a matter of course be seen by their Line
Manager on their return to ensure that they are fit and to register the fact
that their absence has been noticed.
See separate Return to Work Discussions Ð Guidance for Line Managers.
In addition to
this it may be necessary to discuss in more detail those cases where the
evidence indicates a problem. This
may include a series of absences, a ÔpatternÕ of absence, or insufficient or
unsatisfactory reasons being given.
In such cases the timing of this informal interview will be a matter for
the line manager to decide but it is important that such cases are treated in a
consistent manner.
At the interview Headteacher or
Business Manager should discuss in detail the nature of the illness and the
cause for concern (including the associated difficulties experienced by other
members of staff) together with any further action which may be necessary. This may include:
(a)
A
programme of support and assistance.
(b)
A
referral to the Occupational Health Unit for a report on the individualÕs
medical condition.
(c)
A
further period of review during which the individual could be required to
submit a doctorÕs certificate on the first day of each absence. During this period it would fall to the
school to meet the costs of any certificates produced.
(d)
In
cases which prove to be incapable of resolution by other means a transfer to
the formal procedure (see below).
(e)
In
cases of serious misconduct involving absence it would be appropriate for the
matter to be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure adopted by the School.
Any action resulting from the return to work interview should be carefully recorded for future reference.
In those cases when a period of review is felt appropriate a reasonable amount of time should be allowed for the individualÕs absence record to improve. The length of time allowed will vary according to the type of job involved. As a general rule three months would not be unreasonable.
FORMAL
ACTION
13.
If matters do not
improve, or if the employee failed to follow the procedure in section 8(a), a
formal interview should be arranged with the employee. The employee concerned must be given
the opportunity to be accompanied by a Trade Union representative or a work
colleague.
Once again the full details of the
absence, managementÕs concerns over the issue and the effects the absences are
having on other employees and the service should be discussed in detail. A report from the Occupational Health
Unit may be essential to ensure a balanced review of all the facts if a medical
condition is the cause, as opposed to a failure to comply with procedure. The individual should be advised of
this and asked to undergo a medical interview / examination. He / she should also be informed that
the result of the medical opinion could eventually lead to the termination of
employment. All details and
decisions reached in this interview should be recorded for future reference.
Once received, the medical report should
be considered by the Headteacher before a decision regarding the action to be
taken is made. This decision could
include the termination of employment, the recommendation of an ill-health
retirement or for a further referral to Occupational Health including if
necessary a ConsultantÕs report.
In the cases of formal action being
taken on medical grounds it is strongly recommended that advice be sought from GCC
Employee Relations Department.
LONG TERM ABSENCES
14. In those cases where employees are
absent for periods exceeding a month it is important that contact is maintained
by the Headteacher or a suitable intermediary. If necessary this can be arranged through the Occupation
Health Unit or through GCC Employee Relations Department. This contact will keep all parties
informed as the nature of the illness and likely timescale. It also serves useful welfare and
social functions, and as a means of communication if more detailed contacts are
necessary at a later stage.
It is normal for all cases of long
term absences to be referred to the Occupational Health Unit. Teaching staff will in addition be
subject to specific conditions of service requirements in relation to certain
contagious diseases and mental illness.
In the latter case it may be necessary to suspend the teacher pending a
medical clearance. A recommendation will be made on the basis of this report
which may include the termination of employeeÕs contracts on ground of ill
health.
Note: the condition and arrangements
for teachers are different to those for support staff.
The entitlement for the duration and
level of paid sick leave is laid down in the employeeÕs conditions of service
document.
RETURNING TO DUTY
15. All managers should ensure that employees returning to duty are fit to do so, particularly after protracted illnesses. A ÒStatement of fitness to workÓ certificate should be produced which indicates the date of return to fitness. If a doubt exists about either the status of the certificate or the ability of the individual to undertake his/her work further advice should be obtained by the line manager from GCC Employee Relations Department.
In the case of teachers returning to
duty during holiday periods a ÒStatement of fitness to workÓ certificate is
required.
Teachers who have been suspended
from duty following a period of mental illness must obtain a formal clearance
to return from the Occupation Health Unit under a referral.
It should be noted that although all staff are required to obtain a ÒStatement of fitness to workÓ medical clearance on appointment particular care should be taken in the case of individuals seeking to return following a retirement on infirmity or ill health grounds.