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Human Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Sickness and Absence Questions
- Can we do Return to Work Interviews over the telephone?
- Can we use an answer phone for staff to leave a message about their sickness/absence?
- Are staff entitled to claim bank holidays back if they are off sick?
- Can staff carry over any outstanding annual leave if they are off sick (either short term or long term)?
- Can details of the new Sickness Policy be included in the Corporate Induction Programme?
-
Who should seconded
staff report their sickness to and have their
sickness managed by.
What are the rules for staff working at the Treatment Centre? - Are the RTW interviews intended to be a 1:1 discussion with the line manager?
- Can a family member support a person at sickness meetings?
- What happens if the member of staff who is absent tells the manager not to contact them for 6 weeks or not to contact them at all?
- Can an employee with high levels of absence take annual leave instead of reporting absent?
- Is there anything a manager can do to tackle members of staff whose absence levels is always just under the 10 days / 4 absence trigger points?
- Is it unreasonable for an employee to refuse to give a contact telephone number to their manager when they report their absence?
- Is it unreasonable for an employee who is absent to ask their manager not to post mail to them or not to post letters using recorded delivery?
- How long can the phased return be?
- Are the triggers based on calendar days off sick or working days
- How do triggers work for staff who work part-time or compressed hours?
- Will staff who are on a phased return to work, receive shift pay for those shifts they do not work?
- If a member off staff is permitted to go on holiday while off sick what happens to their holiday entitlement?
- Where a person phones in sick while on annual leave, do they need to produce a sick note from a doctor to get this paid as sick pay, or can they self-certify ?
- Please clarify the rules for attending appointments – when do staff have to make the time back or use annual leave?
- Can a manager be accompanied by a fellow manager, rather than an HR representative during a level one absence review meeting?
- Can you clarify the rules regarding going home part-way through a shift – does this count as an occasion? How is it paid?
- Where a member of staff has one occasion of 10 days off, will they trigger into the procedure, or does this need to be over more than one occasion?
- Where someone phones in sick on an on-call day, does this count for the triggers?
Can we do Return to Work
Interviews over the telephone?
No, we need to maintain the integrity of the process
and these should be undertaken on a face to face basis.
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to Top]
Can we use an answer phone for
staff to leave a message about their sickness/absence?
Yes, providing it is in a confidential area and the manager must
then make contact with the employee. Managers wishing implement this
in your area should speak to your HR Manager.
Are staff entitled to claim
bank holidays back if they are off sick?
No, there is no entitlement to bank holidays whilst off sick.
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to Top]
Can staff
carry over any outstanding annual leave if they are off sick (either
short term or long term)?
No. In February 2008, the Trust announced that staff will no longer
be able to carry over annual leave from one year to the next, unless
in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances will usually
mean that staff who have tried to book annual leave with sufficient
notice, are unable to take it due to the demands of the service.
Can details of the new Sickness
Policy be included in the Corporate Induction Programme?
This should be addressed at local induction and staff made aware of
their reporting procedures and responsibilities. An ‘Employee Guide
to Sickness’ is available in the HR Policies section on the
intranet. This has a blank page for you to explain your local
reporting procedures before issuing to staff.
Who should seconded staff
report their sickness to and have their sickness managed by.
What are the rules for staff working at the Treatment Centre?
Sickness would generally be managed by the manager who is hosting
the secondment.
Rules for the Treatment Centre are summarised in the Treatment
Centre Handbook for Seconded and SLA staff.
Are the RTW interviews intended
to be a 1:1 discussion with the line manager?
Yes, they are informal meetings to be carried out without HR support
or TU representation.
Can a family member support a
person at sickness meetings?
Usually no. However, staff being managed under the Long Term Absence
Procedure may at times, be accompanied by a family member as an
observer only, for support.
What happens if the member of
staff who is absent tells the manager not to contact them for 6
weeks or not to contact them at all?
The frequency of contact should be agreed between the manager and
the employee, not dictated by the employee. Ideally contact should
be made every 2-3 weeks although it may vary depending on the
circumstances.
Can an employee with high
levels of absence take annual leave instead of reporting absent?
No. If an employee is unfit to work then they must report sick.
Is there anything a manager
can do to tackle members of staff whose absence levels is always
just under the 10 days / 4 absence trigger points?
The Policy makes provision to meet with staff who sustain a pattern
of absence just below the thresholds.
Is it unreasonable for an
employee to refuse to give a contact telephone number to their
manager when they report their absence?
This is unreasonable and we should consider withholding sick pay.
Is it unreasonable for an
employee who is absent to ask their manager not to post mail to them
or not to post letters using recorded delivery?
Yes, this is unreasonable. Post is usually the most appropriate
method of contact.
How long can the phased return
be?
Normally it will be a maximum of 4 weeks, following medical advice.
Are the triggers based on
calendar days off sick or working days
Triggers for the purpose of the absence procedure are based on
working days missed.
How do triggers work for staff
who work part-time or compressed hours?
There are pro-rata triggers for staff who work part-time or
compressed hours. These are detailed in Appendix 2 of the Short-term
absence procedure.
Will staff who are on a phased
return to work, receive shift pay for those shifts they do not work?
Managers need to clearly identify staff on a phased return to
work on the attendance sheets so that pay services are aware. Pay
Services will then ensure that these staff get an average of
enhanced earnings, based on 12 week average before they went off
(assuming they are working in the same role)
If a member off staff is
permitted to go on holiday while off sick what happens to their
holiday entitlement?
Members of staff who are on sick leave are only permitted to go on
holiday if this is medically supported and where proof of this is
provided to their line manager. If medically supported, the
individual would continue to be counted as sick and this would not
come off their annual leave entitlement.
Where a person phones in sick
while on annual leave, do they need to produce a sick note from a
doctor to get this paid as sick pay, or can they self-certify ?
The normal rules apply – staff can self-certify for the first seven
calendar days, provided they follow the normal reporting procedure.
Please clarify the rules for
attending appointments – when do staff have to make the time back or
use annual leave?
Please see section 8.9 of the Sickness Absence Reporting & Initial
Management Procedure.
Can a manager be accompanied
by a fellow manager, rather than an HR representative during a level
one absence review meeting?
No they may not be accompanied by a fellow manager, but may be
accompanied by a member of HR if required.
Can you clarify the rules
regarding going home part-way through a shift – does this count as
an occasion? How is it paid?
Please see section 7.0 of the Sickness Absence Reporting & Initial
Management Procedure.
Where a member of staff has
one occasion of 10 days off, will they trigger into the procedure,
or does this need to be over more than one occasion?
One occasion of 10 days will trigger a review meeting.
Where someone phones in sick
on an on-call day, does this count for the triggers?
Yes
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