International Students House Health and Absence Management Policy PURPOSE International Students House accepts that employees will, on occasions, find themselves unable to attend work due to sickness. The organisation does however expect all employees to present themselves for work whenever practicable. Staff who are ill will be treated sympathetically and every effort will be made to assist recovery and safeguard employment whilst managing sickness absence in accordance with this policy. It is recognised, however, that the loss of working days through repeated sickness absence can be a significant cost to ISH in terms of work not completed or the costs of arranging absence cover. Repeated sickness absence also places additional pressure on colleagues. This policy provides a procedure for reporting sickness absence and monitoring absenteeism. It clarifies employees responsibilities and provides guidance for managers on how to deal with long term sickness and/or a significant level of intermittent sickness absence. The policy provides details of sickness benefits for employees suffering from ill health or injury. It is essential that the following procedures be carried out with tact and sensitivity and a realisation that the management of attendance is the joint responsibility of the line manager and the individual member of staff. Human Resources will be available to advise and support line managers and their staff. This policy replaces the existing agreement, which has been a part of the ISH Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures since 1997. SCOPE All ISH employees who work under a permanent contract of employment. Employees who work on a casual basis are not entitled to company sick pay. 1. NOTIFICATION OF ABSENCE 1.1 Reporting It is the responsibility of each member of staff to ensure that their manager is advised of sickness absence either by themselves or through somebody on their behalf on the first day of sickness, at the earliest opportunity or within the first hour of their working day. Those employees working shifts should inform their line manager prior to the start of their shift. Staff should make every effort to speak to their line manager, and if s/he is not available to the Duty Manager or Human Resources & Development Manager, or an alternative Senior Manager or Section Head. If the illness continues, the member of staff should advise their line manager on expected length of absence. If the absence lasts 7 days or more a medical certificate will be required.
It is not acceptable for messages to be only left with the Front Desk Receptionist or departmental colleagues. The employee or employee s nominee must provide the reason for absence and expected length of absence when they call. At this point the manager s role must be to accept and record the notification. The telephone call must not be used to accept or reject the reason for absence. Where no satisfactory notification or reason has been given the absence is unauthorised and should therefore be treated as unpaid leave and dealt with under the disciplinary procedures. 1.2 Recording Absence, Certification, and Back to Work Interviews The manager accepting a call of absence has the responsibility of completing the ISH Absence Request & Sickness Notification form. The form should be completed and forwarded to the Human Resources & Development Manager. If the absence lasts for 7 or more days, then the employee must obtain a medical certificate from their doctor or a hospital and forward it to their manager or the Human Resources & Development Manager. If the absence lasts less than 7 days, the Human Resources & Development Manager will forward a self certificate Absence Declaration form to the employee for completion on their return to work and forwarding to their manager. On receipt of the Absence Declaration or medical certificate, the employee s manager will hold a return to work interview with the employee, and complete the Sickness Return to Work Interview form. Following this discussion, the Absence Declaration and Sickness Return to Work Interview form should be signed by the employee s manager and returned to the Human Resources & Development Manager for recording. ISH will not accept backdated medical certificates. 2. SICK PAY In accordance with government legislation, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is provided to all employees who are eligible for payment under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and any other relevant legislation passed or amended from time to time. ISH will make all the appropriate SSP payment for up to 28 weeks in any 12 month period. The ISH Sick Pay Scheme, as shown below, takes these payments into account when making salaries up to 100% or 50% of normal basic salary. Sickness covered by a Medical Certificate: Under 1 year s service 2 weeks full pay/4 weeks half pay 1-3 years service 6 weeks full pay/4 weeks half pay 3-5 years service 8 weeks full pay/4 weeks half pay 5-10 years service 10 weeks full pay/4 weeks half pay 10 years + 12 weeks full pay/4 weeks half pay Sickness covered by a self certificate Absence Declaration Staff working 5/6 days per week: Under 1 year s service 3 days paid p.a. 1 year service + 7 days paid p.a. Staff working 3/4 days per week:
Under 1 year s service 2 days paid p.a. 1 year service + 4 days paid p.a. Staff working 1/2 days per week: Under 1 year s service 1 day paid p.a. 1 year service + 2 days paid p.a. Employees do not receive new entitlement to company sick pay once the above pay is exhausted if an illness continues from one absence year to the next. If SSP is greater than full or half pay, then the full amount of SSP will always be paid. The Executive Director may at his discretion, approve the continued payment of all or part of salary after entitlement is exhausted. Such payments may be discontinued at any time, but this would not affect any entitlement to Statutory Sick Pay. All sick pay, including any element of SSP, is subject to PAYE Income Tax, National Insurance contributions, and, if appropriate, any other organisational deductions, pension, etc. After the 28 week period of SSP, benefits may be claimed from the DSS by the individual. Prior to the end of the 28 th week the Human Resources & Development Manager will inform the employee of this benefit and assist with completion and submission of the appropriate SSP form to the Dept of Social Security. Payment of company sick pay during an employee s probationary period, is at the discretion of their manager. 3. CONDUCT Whilst on paid sick leave, staff must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the reason they are absent from work. ISH reserves the right to withhold sick pay if it believes that a member of staff is acting in a manner prejudicial to their recovery and return to work. 4. SUSPENSION FROM SICK PAY SCHEME ISH may suspend an employee from its company sick pay scheme and consider disciplinary action if: The individual fails to follow the rules relating to absence reporting; and/or There is reason to doubt the validity of the absence; and or The illness or injury was self-inflicted, e.g. drug or alcohol abuse, when treatment has been refused; diagnosed illness when medical advice has not been followed; frequent injury through participation in sports or dangerous activities; and/or The absence resulted from outside employment; and/or The absence was caused by failure to comply with the organisation s regulations on Health & Safety; and/or Other equivalent situations for which payment of sick pay would be inappropriate In all cases of sickness absence from work, ISH would expect an employee to do everything to help a speedy return to work. ISH would not expect any employee who
is absent to undertake any employment elsewhere or to participate in any activity which is inconsistent with the nature of the alleged illness, some examples being, sports, social activities or home improvements. 5. UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF NON-ATTENDANCE Due to the nature of many of the jobs and staffing levels at ISH, high levels of absenteeism or repeated spells of sickness/absence cause considerable disruption, cost and pressure on colleagues who have to provide cover. Where the levels exceed any one of the following a meeting will be held with the employee and their manager. The Human Resources & Development Manager may also be present. 1 day unauthorised absence 5 days late in 1 month 7 days self certified leave in one holiday year 5 spells of sickness in one holiday year The aim of this meeting will be to establish the facts regarding the absence, to ensure the employee is fit for work, and to seek to address known or hidden issues that may prompt a re-occurrence of the illness. Dependent upon the outcome of this meeting, there may be a need to refer the individual for an Occupational Health assessment or for the disciplinary procedure to be invoked. 6. MEDICAL REPORTS In any circumstance where an employee s absence due to ill health gives reasonable cause for concern, the employee may be asked to provide their consent for ISH to obtain a medical report from his/her own GP, or, if necessary to undergo a medical examination by an independent medical practitioner of the organisation s choice and for the findings of the examination and prognosis for future recovery to be reported back to the management of ISH. Occupational Health (independent medical) practitioners can be used to provide advice on rehabilitation to facilitate the employee back to work. Occupational Health practitioners will normally meet with the employee to assess their health and advise on their likely date of return to work. Occupational Health practitioners can offer guidance on suitable changes to duties or environment. Continual payment of company sick pay is conditional on the employee authorising the release of their medical records from their own medical practitioner or through a company appointed Occupational Health practitioner. ISH will incur the cost of an independent medical assessment. The employee will be advised that, should they refuse to provide their consent, ISH will have no other option than to proceed with the disciplinary procedure on the basis of such information as is available. 7. LONG TERM ABSENCE & INTERMITTENT ABSENCE If a member of staff is absent for a period for 4 weeks or more or has significant intermittent non-attendance, a meeting may be arranged with the manager and Human Resources & Development Manager. At this meeting (which may need to be held at the employee s home), the employee s illness/injury will be discussed including any medical reports that have been obtained, as well as operational issues, expected length of absence, any longer term effects of the illness/injury, and the possibility of a reoccurrence of the illness/injury. The employee may wish to be accompanied at this
meeting by a work colleague or trade union representative. If the meeting is to take place at the individual s home, a friend/relative may accompany the individual. If appropriate, following the meeting, the employee may be given a first written warning by the Human Resources & Development Manager in consultation with the line manager. The warning will specify a period, the length of which (usually between 1 and 6 months) will depend upon the particular health or welfare difficulties. If appropriate, at the end of such a period, the employee may be required to undergo another examination and/or interview, to determine if any further action is required. If further action is required a second meeting will be called, and the employee will be sent a letter explaining that ISH is considering the termination of his/her employment contract. The letter will advise the employee of the proposed date, time and location of a meeting to be held with him/her to consider this proposal. It will also advise that the employee has the right to be accompanied to the meeting. That companion may be a colleague or a trade union official. The meeting can be held at the employee s home if agreed. The employee should make every effort to attend this meeting, but if he/she is unable to attend, may submit a written note of the matters that he/she would like the manager to take into account prior to making a decision. The decision may include: i) the issue of a final written warning by the Human Resources & Development Manager or his/her representative in consultation with the line manager which will be confirmed in writing and will specify a further period over which the employee s attendance will be monitored and the level of improvement expected during such period. This warning will state that failure to show the necessary improvement within the specified period will result in dismissal; or (ii) dismissal by the Human Resources & Development Manager or his/her representative in consultation with the line manager with notice if the Company concludes, following a medical examination, that the employee is not likely to be fit to return to work in the foreseeable future and that, in all the circumstances, the needs of its business render it impracticable to await further the return to health or fitness. For those staff members reporting directly to the Executive Director, the decision to dismiss must be confirmed by the Executive Director. The outcome of the meeting will be notified to the employee, in writing. Within this letter the employee will be notified of his/her right to appeal against the outcome of the meeting, and informed of how such an appeal should be made. Should the employee wish to appeal, he/she must do so, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the notification of the manager s decision. The appeal hearing will normally take place within 10 working days of the receipt of the request, and will normally be heard by the Executive Director, or for staff reporting to the Executive Director an appeal would be heard by a member of the Council of Governors. The outcome will be notified to the employee, in writing. The decision made at the appeal hearing is final.
8. TIME OFF FOR MEDICAL AND DENTAL APPOINTMENTS ISH recognises that employees will from time to time need to attend medical, hospital, dental, optician and other similar appointments. Whenever it is possible to do so, employees (both full time and part time) should endeavour to arrange such appointments in their own time or, if this is not possible, then at times that will cause the minimum amount of absence from work or inconvenience to the organisation. However, because ISH accepts that it is not always possible or practical to arrange medical and other similar appointments outside working hours, it is the organisation's policy to permit reasonable time off work for such appointments. Provided that an employee gives his/her line manager reasonable notice of the date and time of an appointment, time off with pay will normally be granted, although this is subject to the discretion of the employee's line manager. Unless on sick leave, employees are expected to attend work before or after their appointment. If an employee is absent for a full working day to attend an appointment, the employee will be asked to make up the time, take unpaid leave or holiday for a half day, subject to the discretion of the employee s line manager. Employees must obtain approval from their line manager in advance of any appointment. The line manager reserves the right to ask an employee to reschedule an appointment if its timing would cause disruption to the organisation's business. The line manager may also, at his/her discretion, ask the employee to produce an appointment card. Employees who are pregnant have a statutory right not to be unreasonably refused time off work with pay for antenatal appointments on medical advice. Paid time off in such circumstances will automatically be granted, although an employee's line manager will still have the right to request sight of her appointment card. 9. DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT Where the employee is disabled as a result of the illness/injury, ISH will consider any reasonable, practical adjustments that may be made to work practices, premises or equipment. An individual will be disabled for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 if they have a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial long term impact on their day to day activities (.e.g. mobility, dexterity, coordination, speech, hearing, eyesight, memory, ability to lift or carry things). The Act also covers those with a progressive illness such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV from the point of diagnosis. 9. RESPONSIBILITY All those persons referred to within the scope of this policy are required to adhere to its terms and conditions. Managers are responsible for ensuring that this policy is applied within their own area. Any queries on the application or interpretation of this policy must be discussed with Human Resources prior to any action being taken. Human Resources has the responsibility for ensuring the maintenance, regular review and updating of this policy. Oct 2015
ABSENCE DECLARATION Instructions: 1) Part 1 of this form must be completed by you if you have been absent from work for between 1 and 7 calendar days inclusive. Please give full details for the absence - terms such as illness/unwell are not sufficient. 2) Once completed it must be handed to your manager as soon as possible after your return to work - normally on the first day back. 3) Your manager or authorised deputy will discuss the detail of your absence and then complete Part II and send it to the Human Resources & Development Manager for action and recording. PART 1 SURNAME: DEPARTMENT: FIRST NAME: JOB TITLE: I hereby declare that I was absent from work from to date date Reason for absence: I consulted a doctor/hospital YES/NO I declare that I now believe that I am fit and well and am able to return to my normal duties. I also declare that the above information is complete and truthful. Please note: Any dishonest or incomplete declaration will be treated as an attempt to defraud the organisation and will be treated as Gross Misconduct liable to result in your summary dismissal from our employment. Signed: Date: PART 2 Authority to pay YES/NO Manager s signature: Comments: Date:
Private & Confidential SICKNESS RETURN TO WORK INTERVIEW Employees absent from work must report their absence to their manager or the Duty Manager on the first day of absence as required in the absence reporting procedure. Failure to do so could affect payment of Sick Pay and will be dealt with as unauthorised absence under the disciplinary procedure. Surname: Forenames: Department: Job Title: First Date Absent From Work: Date Returned To Work: Number of Days Absent: Number of Previous Occasions of Absence In Current Leave Year: Remaining Eligibility To Self Certified Sick Pay: It is the responsibility of employees to report in writing any change in health, of which they are aware, which may affect their ability to undertake duties effectively and to satisfy health and safety legislation. Reason for Absence: Did you see a doctor: If no, why?: What were the doctor s comments: Have you been a patient in hospital? Are you on any medication, if yes, what?: Is this likely to be an ongoing problem: Are you fit for your full range of duties: Manager Comments: Any Further Action/Requirements: Signed (Manager): Date: Print Name: Signed (Employee): Date: Print Name: