STAFF MATTERS: Long-term sickness

Companies in Scotland are reducing their expenditure and exploring ways to get the most out of their workforce as the cost of doing business continues to increase in the country. Managing long-term sickness is a part of this. A worker on leave for an extended period can deplete resources and productivity, and many employers are currently unable to bear this additional cost.

Having an employee on long-term sick could mean paying for interim cover in addition to SSP. Additional costs to your firm may include lost productivity and greater pressure on other employees who end up shouldering the increased workload.

Businesses are increasingly keen to progress situations before January, whether that means hastening a return to work or, if it becomes evident that there is no reasonable possibility of a return, following the path of a medical capability dismissal.

Businesses are aware of how absences affect operational effectiveness and other employees’ workloads. They will want to stay on top of monitoring absences, particularly where there are advantageous sickness payment plans, to ensure there’s no misuse of the system available.

However, it’s unlikely that it will be reasonable to move forward with an ill-health dismissal before six months of absence unless there is early medical proof that suggests an employee won’t be fit to return to work for a long time.

Given the costs involved, you will undoubtedly want to move the situation along, but you may also be concerned about legal risks or damaging working relationships with the employee. Employers are often at a loss about what would be best.

Holding regular welfare meetings will enable you to routinely explore the reasons for the absence, how any medical intervention is aiding the employee in their recovery, and whether there’s anything you can do to support them in returning to work sooner. It’s up to you to seek out this information; it’s not the employee’s responsibility to update you.

Prior to progressing with a potential dismissal, it’s crucial to consider reasonable adjustments to the employee’s position or possible redeployment and consider any benefits that may be available. Do they meet the requirements for any permanent health insurance or ill-health pension provisions?

It’s essential to consider these points before progressing to a potential dismissal, as this can reduce the risk of unfair dismissal and discrimination claims and potential breach of contract, which could arise if you haven’t fully explored contractual benefits.

Undoubtedly, prevention is better than cure.

To decrease long-term sickness absences and their effects on your business:

• Develop a formal policy to show employees that you take absence seriously and spell out how long-term sickness will be dealt with;

• Maintain regular communication with employees while they are off sick;

• Conduct risk assessments to identify and reduce any risks that may be causing such absences, such as high workload demands;

• Conduct return-to-work interviews after each absence to ensure employees are well enough to return to work, identify absence trends and deter bogus absences.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.