The University of Sheffield
Human Resources

Pre-January 2013

Frequently Asked Questions - Sickness Absence Management Policy

I am a member of staff who is too unwell to attend work. What should I do?

On the first day of your absence you should, wherever possible, contact your line manager personally. You should attempt to speak to your line manager before your usual start time or within the first half an hour of the working day. You should advise your manager of the following:

- when you became ill;
- the broad nature of your illness (eg migraine, chest infection etc);
- whether the illness is due to an accident or injury at work;
- whether you will be seeking medical attention
the likely date of return (if known).

Should your absence continue beyond one day, you should continue to liaise with your line manager at regular intervals as agreed.

In cases of ill health lasting more than seven days, you are required to obtain a Medical Certificate from your General Practitioner (G.P.), and to send this to your line manager.

If I am too unwell to contact my manager personally, what should I do?

Should you be unable to speak to your manager directly because you are too unwell, you must ensure that a family member notifies your manager accordingly.

Members of staff are advised that they are required to notify their manager of any sickness absence personally, and should only instruct a family member to do so when there is no alternative.

I am a departmental manager, and a member of staff contacts me to say s/he is too unwell to attend work. What should I do?

You should show concern and support, and obtain the following information:

- when they became ill;
- the broad nature of their illness (eg chest infection, etc);
- whether the illness is due to an accident or injury at work;
- whether they will be seeking medical attention
the likely date of return (if known).

Additionally, should the absence be likely to continue beyond one day, you should agree with the member of staff the frequency with which they should maintain contact. Where the absence extends to four weeks, you should contact the member of staff at home to offer support and discuss the ill health.

You, or a nominated member of staff within the department, should record details of the absence in myTeam, as soon as it becomes known.

As a member of staff, what do I need to do when I return to work following a period of ill health?

For absences lasting more than 7 days, if you have not previously sent a Medical Certificate from your General Practictioner (GP) to your line manager you should give this to your line manager when you return to work.

As a departmental manager, what should I do at the point at which a member of staff returns to work?

Managers should enquire about the welfare of their staff following any period of ill health, ensuring that any such conversations are conducted in a private setting. Should the sickness absence trigger points have been met, a return to work interview must be conducted (see below).

If a member of staff has been absent for half a day or more, you, or a nominated member of staff within the department, should update details of the absence in myTeam.

If a member of staff has been absent for more than 7 days, a Medical Certificate should be obtained and forwarded to the nominated individual within the department, and subsequently sent to the Pay and Pensions Office. Line managers must assure staff that confidentiality will be maintained.

What are the sickness absence "trigger points"?

Short-term absences
Four periods of absences amounting to fourteen days in total or more, and/or other absences totalling fourteen days or more in a twelve month rolling period.

Long-term absences
The University defines absences for a period of 4 weeks or more as long-term.

Staff should be aware that personal circumstances, serious and chronic illness, mental illness, and absences as a result of surgical procedures will be taken into account when managers determine whether or not the trigger points have been reached. Though the University may consider that levels of absences reaching the trigger points may be unacceptable, there may be cases where such absences are medically unavoidable.

As a member of staff, how will my sickness absence record be maintained and reviewed?

All absences of half a day or more will be recorded in myTeam, in addition to Personal Sickness/Self Certification Forms being retained confidentially within the department. All information will be held and processed in accordance with the University´s Policy on Personal Information and the Data Protection Act 1998.

When reviewing sickness absence levels, line managers will take into account personal circumstances and the nature of the illness, and be sympathetic towards serious illness, including mental health, chronic conditions, and absence as a result of surgery.

Where an absence level reaches the trigger points, the sickness absence record may be reviewed. You may be requested to meet with your manager at this point, and an improvement plan may be agreed.

As a manager, how should I review the sickness absence record of my staff?

Sickness absence levels should be regularly monitored and reviewed to identify developing trends and patterns, and to enable effective management of absence. You can view details of members of staff who have reached the University's trigger points, as detailed above, in myTeam. The records of staff who reach the University´s trigger points, as detailed above, must be actively reviewed.

I am a member of staff. What is a return to work interview, and will I have to attend one following each period of ill health?

A return to work interview provides both you and your manager with the opportunity to discuss any issues relating to the ill-health absence, or to your absence history in general. Some of the areas that may be covered include:

- any issues which may be affecting your ability to attend work;
- a review of your attendance record over the last twelve months;
- the identification of any support mechanisms that may be beneficial to you following a return to work;
- the potential involvement of the Staff Occupational Health Service;
- an assessment of whether any further action may be necessary, and what this might be.

A return to work interview will be conducted after each period of absence only after the trigger points have been reached, and your manager will complete a Return to Work Interview Form. Your manager may also conduct an interview prior to this point should you or s/he feel it is appropriate.

As a manager, how should I conduct a return to work interview?

To ensure that all discussions relating to sickness absence are handled with tact and diplomacy, managers should ensure that a private room is available. Any such meeting should be conducted as soon after a period of absence as possible, or at the point at which an absence record is reviewed and a potential problem identified.

Discussing ill health may be particularly distressing for some members of staff, and therefore all meetings and return to work interviews should be approached in a sensitive manner. Staff should always be given ample opportunity to discuss any information that they deem appropriate to disclose. Each meeting or return to work interview should be handled on an individual basis, and should take into account individual circumstances.

The return to work interview should be treated as informal management of absence, and care should be taken to ensure that the meeting does not become disciplinary in nature.

During the return to work interview, the following issues should be discussed:

- the nature of the absence, and whether the absence is deemed to be work related;
- a review of the member of staff’s attendance record over the previous twelve months;
- any issues that may affect the member of staff’s ability to attend work;
- whether any preventative measures are being taken to reduce future ill health;
- potential involvement of University services, for example the Department of Human Resources Staff Occupational Health Service and Counselling Services, if appropriate;
- identification of any support mechanisms that may be beneficial to the staff member;
- an assessment of whether any further action is necessary, and an indication of what this might be.

In cases where managers anticipate that future improvement of attendance will be required, or where it is felt that appropriate adjustments to the member of staff´s working environment or job role may be necessary, they must consult the Department of Human Resources for guidance prior to conducting the interview.

During the interview, notes should be made on the Return to Work Interview Form summarising the key points being discussed. Any further action that is required should be discussed with the member of staff, and where improvement of attendance is required, appropriate and fair timescales should be documented. A copy of the completed form should be given to staff either during, or within two working days of the interview. All completed Return To Work Interview Forms must be kept in a confidential location within the department.

As a member of staff who has been absent due to ill health, should I expect to be referred to the Staff Occupational Health Service?

Any member of staff who is absent for a period of four weeks or more might expect to be referred to the Staff Occupational Health Service. However, staff should be assured that managers will take into account, and be sympathetic towards, serious illness, including mental health, chronic conditions, and absence as a result of surgery. Consequently, not all staff will be referred at this point.

A referral may also be arranged by your manager at any time during your employment, and especially where the trigger points for short-term absence have been reached, where a referral is felt to be beneficial.

As a manager, how should I determine whether or not a member of staff should be referred to the Staff Occupational Health Service, and how should I organise a referral?

Managers should consider referring members of staff whose sickness absence records have reached the trigger points, as above, or where clear patterns of absence are appearing (such as recurring absences on specific mornings etc). However, when determining whether or not a referral is both beneficial and appropriate, managers must take into account serious illness, including mental health, chronic conditions, and absence as a result of surgery. Additionally, managers should also consider the length, pattern and frequency of absences. Managers should consult with their customary HR Adviser at this stage.

Should a referral be deemed appropriate, managers may initially telephone the Staff Occupational Health Service to make a provisional appointment. A letter must then be sent to the Staff Occupational Health Service where the decision will be made as to whether it is appropriate for the member of staff to meet with the Staff Occupational Health Adviser. The letter should provide all relevant factual information to assist the Adviser at the appointment, and a copy should be forwarded to the customary HR Adviser within the Department of Human Resources. Where specific information is required, or where a medical opinion is sought from the Staff Occupational Health Adviser, this should be made explicit within the letter.

Upon receipt of the letter, the Staff Occupational Health Service will contact the referring manager to confirm the appointment, and to inform the manager of who will be meeting with the member of staff. At this stage, the manager must then write to the member of staff confirming the date and time of the appointment.

As a member of staff, how will the University manage my sickness absence if I am, or become disabled?

The University is committed to the development of a diverse workforce and to supporting staff that are, or become, disabled (as defined by the Equality Act 2010). In order to retain the skills, experience and expertise of staff members who become disabled, the University endeavours to provide the necessary support and assistance to enable the member of staff to continue in their post. Consequently, the University is committed to fully considering and exploring the possibilities of making reasonable adjustments to enable staff to continue in their employment with the University.

However, in some cases it may not be possible to make reasonable adjustments to a member of staff´s current job role, and the University will, wherever possible, make every effort to redeploy those staff that are unable to carry out their original duties/job role. Staff will therefore be able to use the University´s redeployment procedure.

In cases where it is not possible to redeploy a member of staff on a permanent basis because of their disability, their situation will be reviewed on an individual basis by the department and the Department of Human Resources.

What entitlement do I have to ill health absence with pay?

The entitlement for ill health absence with pay has not altered, and all staff should consult their terms and conditions of service for information.

Do I accrue annual leave whilst absent due to ill health?

Yes, staff continue to accrue annual leave during all periods of ill health absence.

If I am ill during a period of annual leave, will the annual leave be re-credited?

Consideration will be given to re-crediting annual leave where a member of staff obtains a Medical Certificate stating that the nature of the illness was such that it would have prevented them from attending work. The request to re-claim annual leave must also be supported by your Head of Department.

You cannot re-claim annual leave for public holidays and closure days, or for any other time that the University is closed.

How will I receive my payslip when I am absent due to ill health?

Staff who have access to a computer will continue to receive a monthly payslip via myJob. Staff who do not have access to a computer will continue to receive a monthly paper payslip. Where it is anticipated that a member of staff will be absent from work due to ill health for some time, consideration will be given to issuing paper payslips until the member of staff returns to work. Please speak to your manager if you would like to request paper payslips during a prolonged period of ill health.

If I have any further questions, whom should I contact?

All members of staff are encouraged to consult the Sickness Absence Management Policy which is available on the Department of Human Resources' web-pages. Alternatively, the HR Adviser for your area will be able to help.

Departmental managers may also consult the Management Guidance Notes.