Due to the increase in absence many organisations are facing, mainly due to flu and swine flu, we have been asked by a number of clients and organisations for advice on managing sickness absence.

This time of year is always a bad time for attendance, due to the change in weather and the dark nights.
Sickness absence management has many different aspects, but one of the strongest and most effective methods for reducing absence is to carry out return to work interviews. This is confirmed by several pieces of research and most HR professionals advise on this approach in the first instance.

Some of my tips on how to conduct a return to work are detailed below:

The approach of the interviewer should be supportive and non-judgemental. Whilst the return to work interview may help to discourage frequent ‘sickie’ employees, don’t forget that the majority of sickness absence is genuine and therefore the purpose of the interview is not to catch them out, but to ensure they are supported in returning to work. It is important to welcome them back to work and update them on any work priorities and ensure they are fit enough to return.

Collate details of all recent absences before the return to work interview, so that you can assess whether there is an ongoing issue or if the absence is a one-off. I normally advise clients to review the previous 6-months or if there are several instances of sick absence you should review the previous 12-months.

Hold the meeting in a quiet, confidential room, where the employee can feel comfortable discussing their absence. If a room is not available, a quiet area within the building will suffice.

Ensure the employee is informed that they have been missed, and explain any developments or actions that have taken place whilst they have been away.

Try to conduct the interview in a positive way, with positive language. For example, asking ‘how are you feeling now?’ may be more beneficial than ‘what was wrong with you?’ Avoid being confrontational and ensure your body language reflects the tone of the interview.

Use open questions to gain further information. Try to avoid leading questions such as ‘so you couldn’t come to work because you were being sick?’

Establish if there is any support or adjustments you need to make, and agree an action plan to enable this to take place. If necessary, plan a further meeting to review any actions.

A return to work interview should take place after every instance of absence, no matter how small. Sometimes very short periods of absence can be due to a significant ongoing problem for an employee such as underlying issues with stress or a work-related issue with a colleague or manager, and only by holding a conversation in a safe environment will you be able to find out and tackle these issues.

It is important to conduct this on the first day back, and where possible as early as possible into their shift.

Move on after the return to work interview, and focus on the task in hand and ensure the employee clearly knows what is expected of them.

If an employee has exceeded your attendance triggers, then it is important to advise them of this and what action you plan to take. If you don’t have attendance triggers in place then please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to discuss further. The return to work interview is not a disciplinary, and therefore you cannot issue a warning at this stage.

Hopefully these steps will help you manage persistent absence. Remember, most employees have good relationships with their line managers, and will not want to lie to you during a return to work interview. If you follow these tips, then this may just act as a deterrent to some who may think about pulling a “sickie”.  For others, it allows you to address any work-related issues early and ensure you are supporting employees with genuine medical conditions.