Sickness Absence Procedure Document
Table of Contents
1 Procedure Scope and Purpose ....................................................................................................... 2
2 Roles and Responsibilities (RASCI) ............................................................................................... 2
3 Procedure Detail ............................................................................................................................. 2
3.1 Objectives of the Procedure .................................................................................................... 2
3.2 Definitions ................................................................................................................................ 3
3.3 Procedure guidelines and approach ....................................................................................... 3
4 Related Policies ............................................................................................................................ 13
5 Related Processes ........................................................................................................................ 13
6 Related Procedures ...................................................................................................................... 14
7 Monitoring and Performance of the Procedure ............................................................................. 14
8 Procedure sign-off and ownership details ..................................................................................... 14
9 Revision History ............................................................................................................................ 15
10 Appendices.................................................................................................................................... 15
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1 Procedure Scope and Purpose
Scope and Purpose: This procedure explains how members of staff at the
University should adhere to the Sickness Absence Policy
Please include details of the consequences of not
Implications of non adherence
following the procedure
Start point of the Procedure:
Please see below
End Point of the Procedure:
Please see below
Compliance and Regulatory
requirements: The Equality Act (2010)
Who uses this process: This procedure applies to all staff employed by the
University of Salford
2 Roles and Responsibilities (RASCI)
Position(s)
Responsible i.e. which position is responsible
for ensuring that this procedure operates as All Line Managers
required on a daily basis
Accountable i.e. which one position in the
University is accountable for ensuring that All Line Managers
this procedure is applied correctly
Supporting i.e. which positions are involved
in delivering the procedure Health, Safety and Wellbeing
HR Division
Consulting i.e. which positions need to be
consulted if changes in the procedure are Health, Safety and Wellbeing
considered HR Division
Informing i.e. which positions need to be
informed about changes in the process All staff
3 Procedure Detail
3.1 Objectives of the Procedure
The Sickness Absence procedure explains how all employees at the University should adhere to the
Sickness Absence Policy. This procedure aims to promote the health and well-being of all our
employees and support them through periods of ill health. There is an ongoing commitment to
identify where work related events may potentially impact on attendance and to put in place proactive
measures to assist employees where possible
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3.2 Definitions
3.3 Procedure guidelines and approach
3.3.1 NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE
Managers should nominate a person/persons to be contacted in the event of sickness absence and
should ensure that all employees are notified accordingly. Wherever possible the contact should be
the line manager.
The Notification Procedure is as follows:
Day 1
The employee must contact the nominated person at the earliest possible time on the first day of
absence. This should normally be done within one hour of the employee‟s normal start time. Brief
details of the illness should be given and, where possible, an indication of the date on which the
employee is likely to be well enough to return to work. If there has been no contact from the
employee, the manager or nominated person may seek to contact him/her. If no response is
received from the employee, the manager should seek advice from HR if they have any concerns for
their employee‟s welfare.
Upon return to work, the employee must complete a University Self-Certificate of Personal Sickness /
Incapacity for Work Form (see Appendix A) to cover periods of sickness absence of one to seven
days, and forward it to the nominated person.
Day 8 and longer absences
If an employee is absent for more than 7 consecutive days (including Saturdays, Sundays and Bank
Holidays), on Day 8 he/she must advise the nominated person of his/her continuing ill health, obtain a
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medical certificate covering his/her absence from the 8 day onwards and forward it to the nominated
person.
From the 6th April 2010 there will be changes to the medical certificate or „sick note‟ that employees
obtain from their GP to certify sickness absence. The new sick note called a “Statement of fitness to
work” or „fit note‟ will either indicate that an employee is “not fit for work” or that they “may be fit for
work taking into account the following advice”.
If the option “not fit for work” is chosen by the GP, then the statement covers the sickness absence
period indicated on the note.
If the option “may be fit for work taking into account the following advice” is selected by the GP,
he/she will provide information on the functional effects of the patient‟s condition and will suggest
ways of helping an employee get back to work before the expiry date on the statement.
The four options are common ways to aid a return to work are:
A „phased return to work’ would be a gradual increase in intensity of work duties or hours. For
example, reduced hours gradually increasing over a period of time; or gradual exposure to increased
lifting.
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‘Altered hours’ would be a change to hours worked, but not necessarily fewer hours For example,
earlier / later start and finish times; or flexible hours to facilitate treatment during working hours.
‘Amended duties’ would involve the removal or reduction of an element of a job. For example,
removing heavy lifting in the event of a back injury, or reducing / removing a pressured part of a role
e.g. Complaint handling.
‘Workplace adaptations’ would involve physical changes to the work environment. For example,
arranging a ground floor workstation for someone with problems with stairs, or, obtaining a foot rest
for someone with back problems.
If one or more of the above suggestions are made, the employee and/or nominated person who
receives the fit note should alert the manager who should carefully consider any suggestions and then
contact the employee to discuss how this may be achieved to enable the employee to return to work.
Further advice may be required from Human Resources and /or Health, Safety and Wellbeing when
considering the suggestions made. If changes are made to enable a return to work, this should be
confirmed to the employee. Alternatively, if after fully exploring the options, it is not possible to make
the suggested changes then the employee should be informed and the medical statement classed as
if the GP had advised that the employee is “not fit for work”.
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As with the previous medical sick note, the new fit note is only required after the 7 consecutive day
of sickness.
The employee will then need to submit subsequent medical certificates to cover his/her absence
where it extends beyond the period covered by the initial certificate.
Where an employee knows that he/she will be returning to work on a specific day, he/she should
inform the nominated person in advance. Note that if an employee believes that they are fit to return
to work, then the responsibility for this decision lies with them and there is no need for the employee
to return to the GP to be signed off as being fit to return to work. If there is a concern by the manager
that the employee has returned to work when they are not fit, advice should be sought from Health,
Safety and Wellbeing by telephoning 0161 295 5425.
On return to work, where necessary, he/she should hand his/her final medical certificate to the
nominated person. He/she should also complete a Self-Certificate of Personal Sickness / Incapacity
for Work Form (to cover any period of absence not covered by the medical certificate) on his/her
return to work, and hand this to the nominated person.
If an employee has not notified the nominated person within seven days of his/her first day of
sickness absence that he/she is on sick leave, the manager should seek to make contact with the
employee to establish the reason for absence. If it is deemed appropriate, it may be that an
alternative manager or HR may seek to make contact with the employee. If no response is received
from the employee, the manager should seek advice from HR if they have any concerns for their
employee‟s welfare.
In cases where contact has been made and / or all reasonable steps have been taken to contact the
employee and establish the reasons for the absence of the employee or where medical certificates
are not submitted to cover the period of absence following a request to do so, the University may
withhold payment of both Occupational and Statutory Sick Pay.
3.3.2 RETURN TO WORK INTERVIEW
The nominated manager should conduct a return to work interview with the employee on his/her first
day back at work (or as soon as possible thereafter) after a sickness absence of three days or more.
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However, where an employee returns in advance of the expiry date of the „fit note‟ or where the
manager has particular concerns regarding the employee‟s absence, their welfare, or their fitness and
ability to return to work he/she may wish to conduct the return to work interview after each period of
sickness absence. The purpose of the return to work interview is:
To give the manager the opportunity to check that the employee is fit enough to return
to work and perform a full range of duties;
To give the employee the opportunity if they wish to voice any concerns that he/she may
have and to explore any work, welfare or domestic related problems which may be
affecting their attendance in an appropriate confidential forum;
To ascertain what steps, if any, are in place to aid his/her recovery; e.g. this may be
obtaining a diagnosis, commencing a course of treatment, physiotherapy or medication;
In cases of persistent absence where there appears to be no underlying medical reason
to remind the employee of the importance of full attendance wherever possible and to
explore ways in which the university can help the employee to attend work;
With the employee‟s consent, refer him/her to Health, Safety and Wellbeing when the
indicators in section 3.3.3 are met.
Record findings on the return to work pro forma (see Appendix B).
The manager should give a copy of the completed form to the employee and keep the original in the
employee‟s personal file held in the Faculty/School/Division.
Where an employee is absent because of a reason that he/she feels is personal or sensitive, he/she
is not exempt from attending a return to work interview. However, the University realises that he/she
may not want to discuss the reasons for his/her absence with the nominated person, for example,
because of the nature of the health issue, gender, religious or culture reasons. In this case, the
employee should contact a Human Resources (HR) Advisor to discuss this matter, and also inform
his/her manager of this.
3.3.3 SICKNESS ABSENCE INDICATORS FOR FURTHER ACTION
In order to ensure consistent treatment of all cases, below are identified some instances that will
normally cause an absence record to be subject to further consideration by the employee‟s manager
and/or the HR Division to determine whether any further action is required to gain further information
to assist in managing the impact of the absence and how to support the employee to be able to attend
work where possible. Where this is considered appropriate, this will normally involve a referral to
Health Safety and Wellbeing as detailed in section 3.3.4 and arranging to meet with the employee to
discuss their attendance as detailed in sections 3.3.5.
A significant total of absences are for example;
3 periods of absence within a 4 month period
6 periods of absence within a 12 month period
a total of more than 12 days within a 12 month period
Unacceptable patterns or trends e.g. regular Friday or Monday absences of before or after
Bank Holidays
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Unacceptable yearly patterns e.g. same week each year or at busy times such as
registration or exams
(the informal procedure as set out in section 3.3.5 below will apply)
Failure to follow the notification procedure (the Disciplinary Procedure may apply);
A continuous absence of 4 weeks or more (section 3.3.8 „Long term sickness absence‟ will
apply).
If the above indicators are triggered the manager should seek the consent of the employee to be
referred to Health, Safety and Wellbeing see section 3.3.4 for further details on referrals.
3.3.4 REFERRALS TO THE UNIVERSITY’S HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING SERVICE
An employee should be referred to the University's Health, Safety and Wellbeing Service when his/her
absence meets the levels in section 3.3.3.
With the agreement of the employee; the manager will refer the employee to Health, Safety and
Wellbeing.
The manager must complete a referral form, if necessary with the help of an HR Advisor, identifying
any issues on which the manager requires advice. Health, Safety and Wellbeing can provide advice
only on the specific issues and questions listed on the referral form.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing may be expected to provide advice on:
The effect of the employee‟s illness or condition on his/her ability to carry out his/her full range
of duties;
The timescale within which the employee is likely to resume his/her duties;
What future treatment is envisaged;
Whether there is any restriction on the duties the employee can undertake on his/her return;
Whether there is any further University support required.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing must be provided with as much information as possible regarding the
employee‟s job and working conditions so that the advice given is in the correct context.
Following referral to the service, the employee will be asked by Health, Safety and Wellbeing to
provide their consent for a report to be sent to the manager and Human Resources which will provide
advice on the areas detailed above. Employees are able to view this report before this is sent to the
manager if they wish to.
3.3.5 FREQUENT SICKNESS ABSENCES – INFORMAL MEETING
Where the employee has incurred a level of absence as detailed in section 3.3.3, the manager will
hold an informal meeting with the employee to discuss the absences, reasons and the effect on the
employee‟s ability to attend work. If the reason or medical condition is considered confidential by the
employee the meeting can still explore whether there may be an impact on the ability to carry out their
duties and attend for work and whether adjustments or support may be required. Employees can
contact HR if they wish to discuss reasons for absence with an alternative contact or Health, Safety
and Wellbeing as detailed in Section 3.3.4. This meeting should also include establishing whether
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any aspect of the job is affecting the health of the employee and whether any practical steps can be
taken to improve the situation. An agreed review period may be set during which the manager shall
monitor the attendance of the employee and seek an improvement in attendance levels where
possible. There may be occasions where an employee‟s condition or disability means that setting a
review period may not be appropriate, see section 3.3.5.1 below.
3.3.5.1 Instances where a review period may not be suitable
When setting the review period and any targets for improvement of absence levels, managers will, in
consultation with an HR Advisor, need to take into account the individual circumstances of the case,
any advice received from Health, Safety and Wellbeing, the impact of any underlying medical
condition and any reasonable work place adjustments (see below) that need to be put in place to
enable the employee to improve his/her attendance. Managers must seek advice from HR for
employee with absence related to disability or pregnancy as setting a review period will not be
appropriate in these cases.
The Equality Act 2010 replaces the previous Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which states that “a
person has a disability……if he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long
term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day to day activities.” Where an employee is, or
becomes, disabled, whether through accident, illness or injury, every reasonable and practicable
consideration shall be given to ensuring that he/she is able to remain in employment. To this end, the
University shall seek to make “reasonable adjustments” which could allow the employee to continue in
employment. See Appendix for guidance on reasonable adjustments. Managers should therefore
contact HR to discuss how to manage attendance and provide support for employees with a disability,
underlying medical condition or pregnancy related absence which may require reasonable
adjustments to be made.
3.3.6 THE SICKNESS ABSENCE PROCEDURE – FORMAL PROCEDURE
Where the formal Sickness Absence Procedure is in operation the employee will be given at least 5
working days' written notice of any meeting falling under the procedure (unless the employee agrees,
in writing, to less) and he/she may choose to be accompanied by a trade union representative or work
colleague. If the individual's trade union representative or work colleague is unavailable to attend the
meeting at the appointed time, he/she may request postponement and suggest an alternative time
and date. Where the suggested alternative is reasonable and normally within 5 working days of the
original date, the meeting will be postponed to the new date. A representative from HR may also be
present.
3.3.6.1 Stage 1 - First Formal Sickness Absence Review Meeting
The manager sends a letter inviting the employee to the meeting stating the right to be accompanied
at least 5 working days prior to the meeting. The purpose of the first Review Meeting will be as
follows:
To review the employee's attendance record during the relevant period;
To give the employee the opportunity to discuss any problems or raise any concerns;
To decide whether any further action is required such as a referral to Health, Safety and
Wellbeing if not already referred;
To set a target for sustained improvement and a period over which absence levels will be
monitored. The target period for improvement will normally be four months. However, the
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manager and the employee may agree a longer or shorter period where this is considered
appropriate to the circumstances however the maximum monitoring period should be six
months. The manager must also consider the impact of any underlying medical condition or
disability when setting a target and if an employee has absence related to disability or
pregnancy, setting a target and monitoring period will not be appropriate in these cases.
To arrange for support or work adjustments as recommended by Health, Safety and
Wellbeing;
To inform the employee that if attendance does not improve within the time period being
monitored, a second Sickness Absence Review meeting will be held.
A letter is sent to the employee within 10 working days of the meeting being held confirming what was
discussed at the meeting and the review period that has been set.
As confirmed at the Sickness Absence Review the employee's sickness absence pattern will be
monitored over an appropriate, specified period. During this period, monthly reviews should be
undertaken by the manager to review the employee's attendance, giving the employee an opportunity
to discuss any problems he/she has encountered, discuss the need for further Health, Safety and
Wellbeing advice and ensure that any reasonable adjustments recommended have been put in place
and that he/she is receiving the support needed to improve his/her attendance at work.
Following a satisfactory improvement based on the targets set in the first formal absence review
meeting, if the employee‟s absence levels/patterns trigger the indicators outlined in section 3.3.3
within the next 12 months, stage 1 of the formal Sickness Absence Procedure will normally be
repeated. However, where stage 1 of the procedure has already been repeated, or where the
circumstances are deemed to be appropriate (whether or not stage 1 has already been repeated), the
University reserves the right to exceptionally consider progression to the next stage.
3.3.6.2 Stage 2 - Second Formal Sickness Absence Review Meeting
If during the specified monitoring period following the first Sickness Absence Review meeting,
absence exceeds the improvement target set this will trigger a second Sickness Absence Review
meeting. The meeting will be with the Dean/Head of School/Director (or nominee) and a
representative of the HR Division. A letter should be sent inviting the employee to the meeting stating
the right to be accompanied at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.
The purpose of the second Review Meeting will be as follows:
To review the employee's attendance record during the relevant period;
To review the steps that have been taken to support him/her in achieving the required level of
attendance;
To give the employee the opportunity to discuss any problems or raise any concerns;
To discuss any Health, Safety and Wellbeing advice that has been received;
To decide whether any new information requires further referral to Health, Safety and
Wellbeing;
To inform the employee that his/her job may therefore be at risk if their attendance levels do
not improve;
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To set a final target for sustained improvement and a period over which absence levels will be
monitored. The final target period for improvement will normally be four months. However,
the manager and the employee may agree a longer or shorter period where this is considered
appropriate to the circumstances however the maximum monitoring period should be six
months. The manager must also consider the impact of any underlying medical condition or
disability when setting a target and if an employee has absence related to disability or
pregnancy setting a target and monitoring period will not be appropriate in these cases.
A letter is sent to the employee within 10 working days of the meeting being held confirming what was
discussed at the meeting, the review period that has been set and that their employment may be at
risk if attendance levels do not improve.
Regular monthly reviews should be undertaken by the manager during the monitoring period.
Following a satisfactory improvement based on the targets set in the second formal absence review
meeting, if the employee‟s absence levels/patterns trigger the indicators outlined in section 3.3.3
within the next 12 months, stage 2 of the formal Sickness Absence Procedure will normally be
repeated. However, where stage 2 of the procedure has already been repeated, or where the
circumstances are deemed to be appropriate (whether or not stage 2 has already been repeated), the
University reserves the right to exceptionally consider progression to the next stage.
3.3.6.3 Stage 3 - Final Absence Review Meeting: Dismissal
If during the specified monitoring period the employee‟s absence exceeds the improvement target this
will trigger a Final Sickness Absence Review meeting.
A final sickness absence review meeting will also be held to consider cases of long term sickness
where the employee is not able to return to work to carry out his/her duties (see section 3.3.8).
The employee will be invited in writing to attend the meeting. The meeting will be with the Dean/Head
of School/Director (or nominee), the manager and a representative of the HR Division. A letter should
be sent inviting the employee to the meeting stating the right to be accompanied by a trade union
representative or work colleague at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.
The purpose of this meeting will be as follows:
To review the employee's attendance record during the relevant period;
To review the steps that have been taken to support him/her in achieving the required level of
attendance;
To give him/her the opportunity to discuss any problems or raise any concerns, or to highlight
any mitigating circumstances that they wish to be taken into account;
To discuss any Health, Safety and Wellbeing advice that has been received (current advice
must be obtained from Health, Safety and Wellbeing before considering dismissal);
To decide whether any new information requires further referral to Health, Safety and
Wellbeing;
To consider whether he/she should be dismissed either on the grounds of capability or where
absence is of such a significant level that it cannot be sustained any further by the University.
The panel may alternatively consider whether there will be a further monitoring period to allow
further time for a sustained improvement. The option of allowing further time for improvement
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will be considered only if there is evidence that this is likely to lead to the required
improvement in attendance.
In the event that further time is allowed for a sustained improvement, the employee's sickness
absence pattern will be monitored over this period. The further period allowed for a sustained
improvement will normally be four months. However, the manager and the employee may agree a
longer or shorter period where this is considered appropriate to the circumstances.
Regular monthly reviews should be undertaken by the manager during the monitoring period if set.
The Dean/Head of School/Director (or nominee) will confirm in writing the decision and the reasons
for it within 10 working days. If the decision is to dismiss, this will be with contractual notice and the
employee notified of their right of appeal against the dismissal.
Following the decision to set a further monitoring period and after a period of satisfactory
improvement based on the target set, if the employee‟s absence levels/patterns triggers the indicators
outlined in section 3.3.3 within the next 12 months, stage 3 of the formal Sickness Absence
Procedure will be repeated which may result in a decision to dismiss the employee on grounds of
either capability or where absence is of such a significant level that it cannot be sustained any further
by the University.
3.3.7 APPEALS
An employee wishing to appeal against Stage 3 of the Sickness Absence Procedure under this policy
should submit a letter to the Executive Director of Human Resources within 10 working days of the
receipt of the formal letter confirming the action to be taken, stating the grounds of appeal. The formal
action taken will remain in force unless and until it is modified as a result of the appeal.
An appeal hearing is not designed to re-hear the case but to examine the grounds of appeal. The
appellant must be specific about the grounds of appeal; these will effectively form the agenda for the
hearing. Appeals may be raised on one of the following grounds:
the procedure: a failure to follow procedure had a material effect on the decision;
the decision - the evidence did not support the conclusion reached;
the penalty - was too severe given the circumstances of the case;
new evidence - which has genuinely come to light since the first hearing.
Arrangements will be made for appeals to be heard as soon as reasonably practicable and will
normally be convened within twenty working days from receipt of the letter of appeal.
The appellant will be notified as soon as possible of the time, date and place of the appeal hearing
and he/she will be advised that he/she may be accompanied by his/her Trade Union representative or
workplace colleague.
The appeal will be heard by a senior University manager not previously involved in the case. A
representative of the HR Division will provide professional HR advice to the senior manager appointed
to hear the appeal.
The result of the appeal will normally be notified to the appellant in writing within 10 working days of
the hearing. A copy will also be sent to any representative.
The decision of the appeal panel is final.
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3.3.8 LONG TERM SICKNESS ABSENCE (INCLUDING INDUSTRIAL INJURY ABSENCES)
If an employee has been absent due to illness for a continuous period of more than four weeks,
his/her manager will, if contact has not already been made, contact the employee as soon as possible
to discuss the employee‟s health and, if possible, when he/she expects to return to work.
The University realises that, where an employee is absent because of a reason that he/she feels is
personal or sensitive, he/she may not want to discuss the detail of the reasons for his/her absence
with their manager, for example, because of the nature of the health issue, gender, religious or culture
reasons. In this case, the employee should contact a Human Resources (HR) Advisor to discuss this
matter, and also inform his/her manager of this. It may be considered appropriate to nominate an
alternative contact in these circumstances.
The manager or nominated alternative will maintain regular contact with the employee during his/her
absence, except where this has been advised against by the employee‟s GP or by Health, Safety and
Wellbeing. The purpose of this contact is to maintain communication with, and to provide information
and support to, the employee. The employee is required to reasonably co-operate and continue
contact with his/her manager or agreed alternative contact during the sickness absence.
The University believes that maintaining contact with employees whilst they are absent from work for
a long period of time helps maintain their morale and may help them return to work earlier. With this
in mind, an employee‟s manager and/or an HR Advisor may contact the employee to ask him/her
whether they agree to be visited at home or an alternative venue. Whilst this is intended to be helpful
to all parties, please note that a home visit will not be carried out if the employee does not agree to it.
As soon as it becomes clear that the employee‟s absence is likely to be long term (or in any event
where the absence has lasted for more than four weeks), the manager should refer the employee to
Health, Safety and Wellbeing. The purpose of this referral is set out at paragraph 6.4 above.
The advice given by Health, Safety and Wellbeing will enable the University to take informed
decisions about the employee‟s role, ability to return to work etc.
Where Health, Safety and Wellbeing declares that there is an underlying medical condition for the
absence, but the employee is still capable of carrying out some duties, the manager and an HR
Advisor will explore with the employee what steps can be taken to help him/her return to work. For
example:
Whether there are any temporary or permanent changes to work pattern or methods within
the same department that would enable a return to work;
Whether the employee could take up an alternative temporary or permanent post within the
same department;
Whether there are any other suitable posts elsewhere within the University;
Whether the employee could undergo a reasonable level of retraining and/or rehabilitation
that would enable him/her to take up an alternative role either within the same department or
elsewhere within the University.
Where an employee is off work for a long period of time due to ill health this presents a sensitive
situation. How long the University can wait before taking action is dependent on several factors, e.g.
the importance of the employee‟s job, the difficulty in continuing with a temporary replacement, the
likelihood of the employee returning to work in the foreseeable future, his/her length of service and
also the departments need for the job to be done. However, even after exploring the possibilities
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listed above, it may be that there is nothing that the University can do that will enable the employee to
return to his/her existing role (and/or that there are no other suitable roles available). In this case,
there will be no option but to dismiss the employee because of his/her continued absences and/or
inability to carry out the role. Dismissal will be in accordance with Stage 3 of the sickness absence
procedure.
3.3.9 ILL HEALTH RETIREMENT
Where Health, Safety and Wellbeing declare that an employee is permanently incapable of
discharging his/her duties, he/she may be advised to consider taking ill health retirement (although
much will, of course, depend on the nature of the illness or condition and the advice received from
Health, Safety and Wellbeing). If it would be helpful, the employee‟s manager and an HR Advisor will
arrange to meet with the employee to discuss the issues involved. This meeting may take place at
the home of the employee if he/she prefers.
If the employee agrees to pursue ill health retirement, the University will make a request on his/her
behalf to the relevant pension scheme. Although the University cannot guarantee that such a
request will be granted, we will give every proper assistance to this request.
Where an employee‟s request for ill health retirement is turned down, the University may then need to
take the necessary steps to terminate his/her employment. This would be in accordance with
Stage 3 of the Sickness Absence Procedure above.
3.3.10 PHASED RETURN TO WORK AND OTHER SUPPORT FOLLOWING LONG TERM
SICKNESS ABSENCE
The University acknowledges that in most cases, where employees are returning to work after a long
period of absence, they are likely to require some form of support from their managers, at least in the
short term immediately following their return.
In order for the University to provide the employee with the necessary support, he/she should give as
much notice as possible of his/her intended date of return.
It may be appropriate for the employee‟s manager and an HR Advisor to meet with the employee
before he/she returns to work to discuss the arrangements for his/her return.
In all cases, irrespective of whether the employee has already met with his/her manager, he/she will
also have a return to work interview immediately following his/her return to discuss the arrangements
that have been put in place.
In some cases, an employee may not feel that he/she is able to return to work on their usual hours or
full-time basis initially. If this is the case, the employee should speak to his/her manager as soon as
possible. The manager shall refer the employee with his/her consent to Health, Safety and Wellbeing
for an assessment to establish his/her fitness to return to work and the appropriateness of a phased
return.
If the employee is going to return on a phased basis, he/she should agree with his/her manager a
return to work on reduced hours for an agreed specified period of time. Where Health, Safety and
Wellbeing has recommended a phased return, their advice on the number of days worked, work
pattern, etc., over the phasing in period should be adhered to as far as possible. It would normally be
expected that the employee would revert to his/her full-time/normal hours after the agreed phasing-in
period.
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Where an employee returns to work on a phased basis for an agreed period of time, he/she will
receive full pay.
If an employee continues to work reduced hours beyond the agreed phasing in period, his/her pay will
be reduced in line with the hours that he/she is working.
3.3.11 ANNUAL LEAVE WHILST ABSENT DUE TO SICKNESS
Only statutory annual leave (currently 28 days, which includes bank holidays and is different to
contractual leave) is accrued during periods of long term sickness absence. If an employee is unable
to take annual leave due to being off sick within the current annual leave year, statutory annual leave
will be carried forward into the next leave year.
If an employee is sick during a period of pre booked annual leave, a medical statement from a GP
should be obtained covering the period in order to re-take this period as annual leave at a future date.
Please contact HR for further advice.
3.3.12 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POLICY OR ITS APPLICATION
The University's grievance procedures and/or bullying and harassment procedure may not be invoked
to challenge or complain about any decision to invoke the formal or informal stages of this procedure,
any decision or action taken or proposed under this procedure, or the operation of this procedure. In
the event that an employee raises a complaint about the procedure being invoked his/her complaint
will be investigated and dealt with at the same time as any absence concerns or problems are being
discussed or considered. The application of this procedure may be modified as deemed appropriate
by the Executive Director of Human Resources to facilitate this, including in appropriate cases by
arranging for a manager other than the employee's immediate manager and not previously involved in
the case to consider the employee's complaint. The purpose of this is to assist all parties by allowing
both the absence issues and any complaint or grievance from the employee to be considered
expeditiously, avoiding multiplicity of procedures and associated delay
4 Related Policies
Policy Name Location
University‟s Equality and Diversity Policy HR web pages
Policy on Approach to Dealing with Alcohol, Drug
and Substance Misuse
All listed and related documents can be found on the HR intranet. When any changes in procedure
are being considered, this section should be referred to in order to determine the implications for
associated policies.
5 Related Processes
Process Name Location
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All listed and related documents can be found on the HR intranet. When any changes in procedure
are being considered, this section should be referred to in order to determine the implications on
associated processes.
6 Related Procedures
Procedure Name Location
All listed and related documents can be found on the HR intranet. When any changes in procedure
are being considered, this section should be referred to in order to determine the implications on
associated procedures.
7 Monitoring and Performance of the Procedure
Managers are responsible for keeping documents
relating to sickness absence of their employees securely
and ensuring that any information input onto the SAP
system for recording purposes is accurate.
Records: SAP absence input staff are responsible for inputting
details of absence accurately.
HR and payroll are responsible for notifying managers
and employees of any changes to Occupational or
Statutory Sick Pay.
Human Resources will regularly monitor application of
Monitoring application of the the procedure through both supporting managers with
Procedure: managing sickness absence on an ongoing basis and
through a scheduled annual review of the procedure.
KPIs in relation to levels of sickness absence are
Performance Indicators:
currently being developed.
Training and Support for the Training for managers will be available through Human
Procedure: Resources in the form of e-learning and face to face
modules.
General guidance and awareness e- learning sessions
for all employees will also be available.
8 Procedure sign-off and ownership details
Document name: Sickness Absence Procedure
Version Number: V1.0
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Status: Live
Equality Impact Assessment: Completed on 12 November 2010
Approved by: Keith Watkinson, Executive Director of Human
Resources
Effective from: January 2011
Date for Review: December 2011
Author: Linda Walsh, Human Resources
Owner: Linda Walsh, Human Resources
Document control: All printed versions of this document are
classified as uncontrolled. A controlled version of
this document is available from Human
Resources or in the „HR Documents‟ section of
the Staff Channel. Questions on this process
should be initially directed to HR Reception on
0161 295 2121 or HRServices@salford.ac.uk
9 Revision History
Release Date Revision description Author
Number
10 Appendices
Template letters and checklists to assist managers are available from Human Resources.
GUIDANCE ON REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS
The University is committed to giving consideration to making every reasonable and practicable
adjustment for disabled employees, to enable them to remain in employment. When considering
whether there is a requirement to make any reasonable adjustments, managers should contact a HR
Advisor in the first instance.
The Equality Act 2010 which replaced the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 gives examples of
reasonable adjustments as follows:
- making adjustments to premises
- allocating some of the disabled person‟s duties to another person
- transferring the disabled person to fill an existing vacancy as a medical redeployment
- altering the disabled person‟s working hours
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- assigning the disabled person to a different place of work or training
- allowing the disabled person to be absent during working hours for rehabilitation,
assessment or treatment
- arranging training or mentoring for the disabled person
- acquiring or modifying equipment for the disabled person
- modifying instructions or reference manuals for the disabled person
- providing a reader or interpreter for the disabled person
- providing supervision or other support for the disabled person
- change policies, practices, or procedures (e.g., waiving a requirement in certain
circumstances to fill out a form in writing)
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