The Value of HR in preventing and managing sickness absence and presenteeism.

Published on:

By: Adam Smith

In: Sickness Absence Management, Wellness

Human resources are the professionals who enable a business to optimise the most valuable, expensive and diverse asset that it has – the people. Their work can range between risk reduction, loss mitigation, human and therefore business capacity building. The activities of human resources cover a wide range of functions examples being:

  • Strategic workforce planning
  • Recruitment and selection
  • Job analysis
  • Training and development
  • Performance management
  • Sickness absence management
Team collaborating in office, using laptop and notebook.

This blog will focus on sickness absence management and health aspects of performance issues.

People become ill which affects production and the quality of product or service. Statutes govern people management and the ever-changing case law from past Employment Tribunals should influence the way businesses manage their people; giving clarity to rulings and principles. Human resources protect the business from litigation by ensuring decisions and actions that relate to sickness absence and performance issues are lawful and defendable. They keep abreast of legislation changes and Employment Tribunal decision making.

Human resources are able to design and assist to implement policy to encourage attendance and manage sickness absence. This could include the process for employees calling in when off sick from work, setting of attendance targets, detail when it is appropriate to refer to occupational health, business process for defining reasonableness of adjustments, occupational sick pay and how to remain in contact with an employee on long-term sick leave.

Human resources have knowledge and skills to assist the line manager to complete an occupational health referral form with appropriate level of detail. They can give some insights into the often-bewildering world of confidentiality that occupational health clinicians are professionally bound by. Once the occupational health report is received human resources can assist the business to define the reasonableness of adjustments within the Equality Act 2010 legal definition of the term.

Human resources are proficient at monitoring trends in sickness absence, unauthorised absences and performance drops. They can assist the business explore if there are work related elements affecting attendance and performance such as job design, patterns of work; shifts, night working, workplace culture, relationships at work. In addition to work elements that affect attendance good HR will be mindful of none work aspects such as caring responsibilities

When an individual is off sick from work or having aspects of performance scrutinised, anxiety about job security will occur. Frequently the individual will have loss of confidence and self-belief in being able to perform the tasks up to the standard that the business requires. The line manager can feel frustrated that business efficiency and productivity are being affected by the individual. This results in a scenario where emotions can be too involved in the dialogue and decision making. Good human resource professionals are adept at having difficult conversations, remaining focused on fairness and able to propose a way forward that reflects both parties priorities and needs.

So hopefully from this blog you can see it that human resources are a key part to ensuring your business is being run effectively and legally.

Anna Harrington – Clinical Lead

Request a Callback