Q. One of my employees has been on long-term sick. How do I deal with this? And as the employer, am I legally required to notify employees who are on long-term sickness absence of any vacancies or promotion opportunities?

Dealing with long-term sickness absence

Long term sick – usually defined as an absence lasting more than 10 days - can be a very expensive challenge to any business - in management time, the cost of sick pay and the cost of cover.

When dealing with sickness absence it helps to get an understanding of the illness, how severe it is and its implications. It won’t be appropriate, for example, to treat a broken leg in the same way as a repeated stint of coughs and colds or either of these examples in the same way as stress or a disability related absence.

Some quick rules of thumb:

•    Verify what is stated in the contract of employment to determine what the employee         should be paid during long-term sickness.
•    Stay in regular contact with the employee throughout the period of absence.
•    Ensure that the employee follows company’s sickness absence reporting procedure.
•    Request medical certificates/reports covering the nature of the employee’s illness and the present medical position.
•    Think about whether the employee’s illness can be seen as a disability covered by the Equality Act 2010.
•    Think about a return to work plan; you may even get a ‘well-note’ indicating some work might be possible.
•    When the employee returns to work, ensure that a return to work interview is carried out and offer additional support by notifying the employee of the employee assistance programme, if there is one in place.
•    If you are contemplating dismissal make sure you follow the proper policies and procedures and make decisions once all facts have been gathered.

Notifying employees who are on long-term sickness absence of any vacancies or promotion opportunities?

Where or not an employee is at work or absent, it is good practice to advise all employees of any vacancies or promotion opportunities in the organisation.

And don’t forget that if an employee is on long-term sick leave and their illness is regarded as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, then there is a specific duty to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to avoid the employee being put at a disadvantage.

Advice for employers

If you require further advice on this topic then please call your HR Consultant, or call 01494 451681 to speak to a member of our team.