The basics of proactive sickness absence management and employee welfare - What it takes to get it right
Sickness absence is still costing UK employers dearly. 📊According to the ONS, 148.9 million working days were lost to sickness or injury in 2024. That’s an average of 4.4 days per worker, and about 7% higher than in 2019. Absence dipped slightly from the previous year, but it hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. Managing it well, with a robust process and managers who can hold difficult but supportive conversations, has never been more important.
In this video, Paul Feldman FCIPD HR Consultant and Dr Yal Heidari GP Mental Health Specialist, cover the basics of proactive sickness absence management and employee welfare. What it takes to get it right:
âś… A robust, suitable absence management process that is clear, consistent and fair
âś… Managers trained to have difficult but supportive conversations
✅ Early intervention, so small concerns don’t become long-term absence
âś… A focus on mental health and wellbeing alongside attendance
âś… Regular, well-documented return-to-work and review discussions
🎥 Watch the full discussion here. How confident are your managers when handling absence conversations? 👇Source: ONS, Sickness absence in the UK labour market: 2024#HR #SickAbsence #AbsenceManagement #EmployeeWellbeing #MentalHealth #PeopleManagement
