Sickness Absence

HSE sickness absence webpage

Managing sickness absence & return to work

Everyone at work will probably need to take sick leave at some point during their working lives and in most cases this lasts only a few days. But long-term sickness absence can have devastating effects on the performance of your business and the health and well-being of your employees.

The statistics are clear, sickness absence costs:

UK Plc over £12 billion a year;
Employers £495 a year in direct costs for every worker employed. Indirect costs are probably considerably more (CBI 2005 statistics)

But this need not be the case

Considerable benefits can de delivered from working in partnership with your employees and their Trade Union representatives when you manage sickness absence and return to work. In particular:

Improved business performance;
Retention of valued staff;
Safe and healthy workplaces;
Better workplace relations.

There is help and advice available

This website outlines an approach to help employers and managers to manage sickness absence and return to work. It will guide you through six elements, which constitute good practice in managing sickness absence and return to work, give guidance on legal issues and list further sources of help and advice.

Talking leaflets

These files are provided in mp3 format,

INDG397 Off work sick, and worried about your job?

HSE absence management toolkit

Introduction to guidance for employers

Key issues

Sickness absence is not just a matter of ill-health. It is affected by a combination of the health condition, personal and work/organisational factors. The last two factors get more important the longer the absence.
Early intervention is key. The sooner action is taken, the better the chances are of an employee making a full and speedy return to work.
Work in a well-managed workplace is a treatment for people recovering from sickness absence and an early return to work improves both mental and physical recovery.
Simple adjustments can enable workers to return to work safely before their symptoms completely disappear. Workers can normally return before they are 100% fit.

This section contains information on:

Getting started by reviewing your procedures
Information on the six elements involved in managing sickness absence and return to work
Guidance on relevant legal issues
Further sources of help and advice

For further information please call (023) 9254 5505, 5506 or 5507 during office hours or call at the Town Hall, High Street, Gosport, Hampshire PO12 1EB.

Alternatively e-mail ehs@gosport.gov.uk any time