Managing staff sickness absence and attendance

Reduce sickness absence among your staff by promoting wellbeing, making sure your policies are clear, and keeping on top of workplace hygiene.

Last reviewed on 3 November 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 32831
Contents
  1. Use policies and procedures to support attendance
  2. Take steps to reduce the spread of illnesses
  3. Keep staff wellbeing in mind

Use policies and procedures to support attendance

You should already have procedures in place for dealing with different types of absence. Make sure all staff are aware of your sickness policy and the support that’s available to them.

For sickness absence, staff should understand that they need to give the reasons for an absence. Your policy should also set out how to report the absence and detail when medical certification is required.

Staff should also know if there will be a return to work interview and understand that the purpose of this is to support their wellbeing. Remember, meetings about sickness absence should be conducted with sensitivity and understanding. 

Keep accurate records of absence

Of course, everyone will have time off for sickness at some point, but where there is persistent absence, consider if there are patterns in the days