Managing Sickness Absence Policy Managing Sickness Absence Policy

Managing Sickness Absence Policy Managing Sickness Absence Policy Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 1 of 21

Contents Introduction... 3 Scope... 3 Duties and responsibilities... 3 General... 3 Managers Responsibilities... 3 Employees responsibilities... 4 Policy Principles... 5 Procedure for Dealing with Sickness Absence... 5 Absence Notification and Certification... 5 Return to Work Interview... 7 Long Term/Chronic Sickness Absence... 9 Frequent Intermittent Absence... 11 Medical Advice... 12 Phased Return to Work (After Long Term Sickness Absence)... 12 Redeployment... 14 Monitoring Sickness Absence... 14 Confidentiality... 14 Medical Appointments... 15 Appendix 1... 16 Explanation of the Bradford Factor... 16 Appendix 2 - Return to Work Interview Record Form... 17 Appendix 3... 18 Self-certification absence through illness... 18 Appendix 4 AMRA Form... 20 Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 2 of 21

Introduction Becta is committed to promoting the health, safety and well being of all staff. The policy is designed to promote good practice and to provide a framework for the effective management of sickness absence. Its overriding objective is to minimise sickness levels while maintaining a fair, sensitive, prompt and consistent approach for handling staff sickness absence. This policy aims to give support and assistance to employees suffering from a medical condition that affect their attendance. Becta needs only to take such steps as are reasonable to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of employees and in doing so are entitled to take into account the needs of the organisation which will, of course, include the needs of other employees. However, Becta understands that handling sickness absence requires a supportive and sensitive approach and this supportive approach is reinforced by a specialist independent Occupational Health Service (Occhea) to guide the organisation in addressing issues of sickness absence. Additionally Becta offers an Employee Assistance Programme (ICAS) which provides free access to a range of specialist support and information, including telephone and face to face counselling. Scope This policy and the following procedure apply to all employees of Becta except those on probation. The Probationary Procedure deals with unacceptable sickness absence levels of probationary staff. However, the employee standards, reporting and certification requirements contained within the Sickness Absence Procedure below apply equally to employees on probation. Duties and responsibilities General The Head of Human Resources is responsible for communicating this policy and for reviewing and updating it as necessary. PCS will be consulted on any changes, which can only be implemented after approval of the Becta Executive Committee. Managers Responsibilities Managers carry the main responsibility for the day-to-day management of their staff s absence Managers are responsible for ensuring that new members of staff are made aware of and understand the procedure for sickness absence reporting and ensure that staff understand the attendance levels expected of them Managers are responsible for ensuring that all cases of sickness absence are reported to HR to ensure that accurate records of sickness absence Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 3 of 21

are maintained. Managers must ensure that all sickness absences are monitored and addressed at an early stage Managers must ensure that all staff sickness is always dealt with in a confidential and sensitive manner Where medical advice regarding an employee would be beneficial or where longer term health problems have been identified the manager will seek agreement to a referral to Occhea from the employee in consultation with their HR Advisor Managers will conduct Return to Work Interviews when an employee returns from every period of sickness absence (see Return to Work Interview). A Return to Work Record Form (Appendix 1) must be completed and sent to the HR Department within three days of the employees return to work Employees responsibilities Employees have a responsibility to fulfil the terms and conditions of their contract of employment unless prevented from doing so by illness. When an employee is prevented from attending work due to illness they are obliged to follow the notification procedure for reporting sickness absence (see Absence Notification and Certification). Employees should not report in sick unless they are genuinely ill and unfit for work.if evidence of an abuse of the sickness policy is discovered, the matter will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure. If an employee feels that they have been treated unfairly in respect of sickness absence monitoring and management procedure, they are entitled to raise the matter under Becta s grievance procedure. Employees should remain contactable for the duration of their sickness absence. No action should be taken by the employee that is prejudicial to their recovery including being absent from home unless supported by either their GP or an Occhea report Employees are responsible for providing valid medical certificates and ensuring that there are no gaps in any absence requiring certification Employees must refrain from undertaking any work related tasks or any other employment whilst absent unless certified by their GP or Consultant as being fit to undertake work at home Employees are responsible for complying with the requirements specified in this document and co-operating with all reasonable management requests or instructions If an employee does not return to work on the date expected, or is sick for any length of time, they are responsible for keeping their manager informed as to the progress and their intentions to return to work Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 4 of 21

Policy Principles The principles underpinning this policy are: to ensure that all employees are aware of their rights and obligations in regard to sickness absence and are aware that recording and monitoring of their sickness absence will be used as a key element of sickness absence management to provide managers with a framework to assist them in managing sickness absence within their own teams to ensure that all employees are treated fairly and consistently to create an opportunity for positive action to be taken to improve the welfare of employees by assisting them to overcome difficulties that may affect their ability to work effectively to ensure that the highest levels of quality and service are maintained to allow the organisation to fulfil its obligations to all users of its service. Procedure for Dealing with Sickness Absence The procedure is divided into two areas: 1 Long Term/Chronic Sickness Absence 2 Frequent Intermittent Absence normally defined by Becta as persistent short term absence that may follow a pattern Managers and employees responsibilities, absence and notification procedures and return to work interviews apply to both of the above. Different approaches are required to deal with the two types of sickness absence. Although they both promote a supportive approach, the long term/chronic route provides for greater levels of support and assistance given that many cases involve a serious medical condition. The frequent/intermittent absence route aims to deal with persistent, short term absence that normally lasts for one or two days. In this latter case, it is essential for the manager to maintain accurate and up to date absence records and to seek advice from the HR Department. Absence Notification and Certification Due to the nature of sickness absence it is important that managers are able to plan workloads and continue to deliver an effective service. It is therefore, vitally important that absence is reported promptly so that appropriate arrangements can be made regarding an employees duties. Notification should therefore be managed as follows: On the first day of sickness absence from work, all employees must contact and notify their manager as soon as possible, and not later than one hour from their normal starting time. Managers should enquire about the nature of the illness and when the individual anticipates being able to return. In the absence of the manager, the employee must contact the Administrator of the team giving the same information Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 5 of 21

The employee has the responsibility for keeping their manager informed of any further periods of absence and to maintain regular contact with their manager advising of progress and likely date of return (whenever contact is made, the manager should confirm when and how the next contact should be made). This is particularly important to enable the manager to provide support to the employee and arrange appropriate cover for the employee s duties The Manager or the Administrator must ensure that the HR Department is notified immediately. It is important that this is carried out promptly and accurately to ensure that correct records are kept and to enable Directors and managers to be provided with reliable information on levels of absence within their teams. Managers must ensure that a record is kept of any contact made with the employee Employees who are ill after reporting for work and go home during the day must inform their manager before they leave the building. Managers should ensure that part-day absences of 2 hours or more (or part-time equivalents) which are to be treated as sick leave are notified to the HR Department Employees are required to complete a Self Certification Form, (Appendix 3) for absences that do not require a medical certificate i.e. that are shorter than 7 days in duration. This should be submitted to the manager on the first day the employee returns to work (see Return to Work Interview). The manager must sign the self certification form and ensure that the document is submitted to the HR Department within three days of the employees return to work. In certain instances, where there is evidence of persistent frequent intermittent absence, the provision of self certification may be waivered and Becta may seek to request a GP signed medical certificate for the duration of the absence If the absence lasts for more than seven calendar days the employee must submit a doctor s medical certificate covering the whole period of absence to their manager. Where the absence continues beyond the expiry date of the medical certificate, it is important that further certificates are sent to the employee s manager immediately. Employees are responsible for ensuring that there are no periods of sickness absence that are uncertificated. If the employee has been in hospital, had two or more doctor s certificates or had absences for more than two weeks, they will be required to bring a final doctor s certificate of fitness to work with them when they return or send it to their manager prior to commencing work If the absence is the result of an accident at work, an accident form must be completed. This also applies if your accident occurs whilst working off site. (Forms are available from the Facilities Manager). The form must also be completed by the employee s manager and forwarded to the HR Department who will ensure that the process is completed and adhered to in accordance with requirements set out in RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 6 of 21

Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995). Please refer to the Accident Reporting Procedure for further information and/or guidance In the event of an employee falling sick during the period of their annual leave, then this will deemed as the employee being on sick leave. Annual leave will only be suspended from the date signed on a Doctor s Medical Certificate Employee s entitlement to occupational sickness pay varies dependent upon their length of service. Details of entitlement can be provided by the HR Department. Failure to comply with the certification requirements may result in disciplinary action and/or entitlements to sick pay being withheld. Return to Work Interview A return to work interview is the most effective means of helping to reduce absence levels. To be consistent, everyone returning from a period of absence, whatever the duration, must have a return to work interview with their manager. Managers need to ensure that they gather as much information as possible in preparation for the return to work interview and this should include any reference notes they have taken during the employee s absence and a copy of the employee s absence report which is available from the HR Department. The absence report includes the dates of the employee s absence, the duration of the sickness and a summary of the Bradford Factor score. The Bradford Factor (See Appendix 1) is a common trigger mechanism for dealing with sickness absence and it is a method of illustrating disruptive short term absence, relative to longer term sickness absence. The scoring system is a way of identifying employees with serious absence issues. It can be a useful indicator for management information which can be used within the context of the return to work interview. However, the Bradford Factor score should not be used in isolation for the purpose of the return to work interview. After all periods of sickness absence (including single days) the manager should welcome the employee back to work, enquire about the employee s health, welfare, reason(s) for the absence and the period of absence at a return to work interview. Discussions should normally take place face to face and on the day of the return or as soon as reasonably practicable. Alternative arrangements may need to be made at the manager s discretion. The employee must complete a self certification form for all periods of absence where a medical certificate is not required. The interview should also consider, where known, any underlying disability that may be the cause of the absence, and what additional support may be offered to the employee. This may include discussing and/or identifying any adjustments to the work place, duties or hours which may reduce/eliminate absences(s). In this case, the manager must ensure that the Facilities Manager is contacted as a formal risk Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 7 of 21

assessment may need to be undertaken. Information from return to work interviews may form part of discussions at a later stage of the procedure. This is not a disciplinary interview, but an opportunity for the manager to: Ensure the employee is fit to return to work Establish, in general terms, the causes(s) for the absence Complete relevant documentation Update the employee as to relevant information or changes so as to ensure a smooth return to work Since sickness absence can be a sensitive issue, it is important to get the tone of the interview right. The following points should be considered when undertaking the interview: Conduct the interview in privacy Explain why the meeting is being held. This may include attendance issues that are affecting the work of the team e.g. intermittent attendance makes it difficult to plan work and leads to pressure on other employees Acquaint yourself with the individual s sickness absence record. This can be obtained from the HR Department Reinforce the importance of the employees contribution to the team and how and why they were missed Inform the employee of their absence record and encourage or help the employee to improve. The manager should listen to any explanation put forward and assess whether there is an underlying problem Complete the Return to Work Interview Form (Appendix 2).Where necessary present an action plan, including a statement of what the manager expects the employee to agree to achieve and over what period and outline the consequences of the action plan, both positive and negative with the purpose of avoiding more formal action being taken. The completed form must be submitted to the HR Department within three days of the employees return The interview is also an opportunity for the manager to demonstrate, through care and concern that the employee does matter and is valued and to offer help and support if needed. Discussions between an employee and the manager will be kept confidential so far as reasonably possible. However, if a manager is dissatisfied with the outcome of the return to work interview then they should seek advice from the HR Department before any action is taken. In cases where the employee is returning to work after a long term sickness absence return to work interviews can be the first point at which an employee and their manager start to develop a return to work plan as part of their phased return to work and may include an early discussion about whether or not adjustments or alterations to the job and/or role are required. (See Phased Return to Work) Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 8 of 21

During the return to work interview the manager should explain that absences are monitored and where appropriate a target to reduce absence should be agreed, including a date by when the target should be achieved. The monitoring period allows the member of staff to improve their attendance. If the number of days off sick continues and the attendance is still unsatisfactory then further advice will need to be sought with the HR Department as formal action in accordance with Becta s Disciplinary Procedure may need to be taken. Any decisions made during the return to work interview must be made clear to the employee even if the decision is to take no further action. Long Term/Chronic Sickness Absence If an employee has been absent due to illness for an unbroken period of more than 4 weeks, the manager should contact the employee to seek to establish the state of their health and, if possible when they expect to return to work. However, where, for instance an employee is in hospital recovering from an operation, such enquiries at this early stage may not be appropriate. The manager should maintain regular contact with their employee, at least on a monthly basis. In some cases a home visit can help maintain the morale of the employee and assist an early return to work. Home visits should only be made with the consent of the employee and on the understanding that the employee has the right to have a representative present should they wish. Alternative visiting arrangements may need to be considered where potential vulnerable situation arises to ensure that there is no likelihood of risk or threat to either the employee or the manager making the home visit. There may be circumstances where it is more appropriate for someone other than the manager to undertake the home visit. Particular care needs to be exercised in planning home visits in cases of mental health related absences. In these circumstances the link person should be the HR Advisor. The manager should keep a written note of what contact has taken place and when. All other communications should be done in writing from the HR Department. Where it is thought necessary to establish the employee s medical position in terms of their ability to work as normal, the agreement of the employee to a referral to Occhea should be sought in consultation with the HR Department. This should be done as soon as possible after it is realised that the absence will be long term and should always be considered for any absence exceeding 6 weeks. This is important as any future decisions can only be based on current information about the actual position. Occhea may recommend that the employee should undertake a sickness rehabilitation programme and this may include the following: That a further period of recuperation or remedial treatment is recommended. In this case, Becta should consider supporting this Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 9 of 21

programme provided that the duration of the recuperation is not lengthy and/or could have a positive effect on its ability to operate its business efficiently and effectively Where Occhea recommends any adjustment(s) to an employee s working arrangements, these should be implemented whenever it is reasonable and practicable to do so. Redeployment whether permanent or temporary should also be considered where such arrangements would help an early return to work or improvement in the employee s attendance record (it is particularly important to so in any disability related cases). (See Redeployment). That further medical advice or other types of support is sought e.g. counselling. The employee may also be encouraged to seek further specialist/medical advice/assistance. Where Occhea declares that the employee is permanently incapable of discharging their duties it may be appropriate, depending on the nature of the illness to advise the person to consider ill health retirement. Final approval for ill health retirement rests with Becta s pension scheme administrators. Dependent upon the nature of the employees illness the scheme(s) operate either a total incapacity (not able to work again) or partial incapacity (unable to continue in present employment but able to do other work). If it thought helpful, arrangements may be made for the line manager and the HR Advisor to meet the employee, at their home if preferred. Where an employee is off work for a long period of time due to ill health this presents a sensitive situation. How long Becta can wait before taking action is dependent on several factors, e.g. the importance of the employee s job role, the difficulty in continuing with a temporary replacement, the likelihood of the employee returning to work in the foreseeable future and the employee s length of service. However, there will come a time when decisions need to be taken regarding the employee s continued employment. A dismissal in these circumstances should not come out of the blue and it should be the final step in the consultation process between the organisation and the employee. In the event of a decision to terminate the employment of the employee, the reason given is their inability to discharge efficiently the duties of their employment by reason of ill health or infirmity. In this case reference should be made to Becta s Capability Policy and Procedure. It is important that the advice of the HR Department is sought before any form of action is taken. Employees have the right to be accompanied or represented by a trade union representative or a colleague at any stage of this process. Employees also have the normal right of appeal where a decision to terminate their employment is decided. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 10 of 21

Frequent Intermittent Absence Frequent intermittent absence normally lasts for one or two days and as such absences are often sporadic and attributable to minor ailments that may appear to be unconnected. Sometimes the employee will be absent for up to a week (therefore not requiring a doctors certificate) but more often the absence will be for one or two days. The fact that the absence is sporadic and the reasons for it apparently unconnected mean that it may be challenging for a manager to deal with it. It is important to keep up to date and accurate records and to seek the advice and support of the HR Department and where necessary Occhea. Short term absence may also include employees who have been medically examined and have been advised to refrain from attending work due to illness or injury. The duration of this type can be from 8 to 30 days (including Saturdays and Sundays) When reviewing frequent and intermittent absence, special attention needs to be paid to the fact that often the reason for each absence is different. However, the manager should remember that apparently unconnected absence reasons may relate to a chronic underlying condition. Hence the need to consider a referral to Occhea before any action is taken. Managers must conduct return to work interviews after any absence. In addition a manager may start the absence monitoring process if they are concerned about an employee s level of absence. In accordance with best practice, whether related to long term absence or frequent intermittent absences the monitoring process should start: Where there has been three or more absences in a three month period (whether certificated or not) Where there have been intermittent absences amounting to ten days in a rolling year or If there is an unacceptable pattern of absence e.g. regular time off on Mondays and Fridays In cases of short term or frequent intermittent absence, if there is no improvement in the level of absence it may be necessary to invoke formal action, in line with either Becta s Disciplinary or Capability Policy. At the respective stages, within either of these policies, it should be necessary to clarify that: The level of absenteeism is unacceptable The attendance level needs to improve The period of time over which the employees attendance will be assessed Indicate the attendance level required, which in some instances, may be nil absences within a specified period and thus the improvement necessary and that failure to reach that target may result in the matter Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 11 of 21

being dealt with further under either the Disciplinary or Capability Procedure At the respective stages of either of the above policies the normal rights of representation will apply and other than when a verbal warning is given, the employee will have the right of appeal. Medical Advice When an employee s capability for doing the job is affected because of frequent intermittent absence or prolonged sickness absence, Becta is under an obligation to investigate the matter before deciding on the course of action. This investigation may involve obtaining a doctor or consultant s opinion or an Occhea report for further advice about the employee s capability and/or the likelihood and timing of their being able to resume normal duties. The employee has a right to see these reports. Once all the available evidence is gathered, all options will be discussed fully with the employee. These will include the following; The likelihood of a return to work within a reasonable period The possibility of transfer to a suitable alternative post within Becta The possibility of ill health retirement. Dismissal due to capability (as a last resort) Dismissal would only occur if all other possibilities have been exhausted. Before Becta or Occhea can approach the individuals Doctor or Consultant, Becta must: obtain the employee s written consent inform the employee of their right to withhold their consent and theconsequences of doing so (see below*) inform the person of their right of access to the report and of their rights to amendments A consent form to release personal medical information would be issued to staff that have their case referred to Occhea, their Doctor and/or Consultant. (See Appendix 4 AMRA Form) * Becta reserves the right to make a referral to Occhea with or without the employee s consent Phased Return to Work (After Long Term Sickness Absence) Employees who have been on long term sick leave may feel that they are unable to return to work on a full time basis initially. A phased return to work forms part of an agreed framework to support employees who require assistance to return to work after a long term period of sickness, injury or disability. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 12 of 21

Where an employee s Doctor and/or Consultant agrees to sign off an employee to return to work on a phased basis, the employee should contact their manager who will arrange to meet with the employee to agree a phased return to work plan. In certain cases Occhea may well have included recommendations for an employee s phased return as part of their report and this should, in the first instance, form the structure of the employee s phased return. Alternatively the manager and the employee should agree what is reasonable, achievable and appropriate for the employee. The phased return will enable the employee to re-build their confidence or morale and allow them to become reacquainted with the business and any changes that might have taken place during their absence. Phased returns need to be flexible. For example, requiring a returning employee to work five short days a week could be less helpful than offering two full days especially if they have a long commute to work. Rehabilitation back into the work place is intended as a transitional period which would not normally exceed 8 weeks. It may, exceptionally, be extended beyond 8 weeks, but only where rehabilitation is likely to be prolonged because of the nature of the illness from which the employee is recovering. The manager and the employee should agree a return to work on part time hours, for a specified period of time, after which it would normally be expected that the employee would revert to their full time/normal hours. Eligibility for a phased return will only be considered for those employees who have had a single period of sickness absence of 8 weeks or more. Such employees returning to work on a phased return basis will be entitled to full pay up to the first 8 weeks of their return. Should an employee still not be able to work full time after this period the situation will be reviewed, in consultation with Occhea. Where necessary the manager should consult with the Facilities Manager to ensure that a risk assessment of the working environment and work activities is undertaken and make any reasonable adjustments as appropriate. This must be carried out for cases that are injury or disability related or if the phased return could affect the work and health of other members of staff. The HR Department will provide advice and support in the planning and implementation of a phased return. They will also be responsible for formally communicating the phased return to the employee outlining a clear written plan including timescales and review period. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 13 of 21

Redeployment Depending upon the nature of the employee s illness and/or duties redeployment should be considered either as a temporary or permanent measure providing it has been discussed and agreed with the employee. In some cases it may not be possible to make reasonable adjustments to an employee s substantive job and redeployment is a reasonable and practical alternative. Before considering redeployment the manager should consult with the HR Department to identify the availability of alternative posts which might be suitable in terms of skills/knowledge and experience. The employee should be advised that, although redeployment will be considered there is no onus on Becta to create a job for the employee and protection arrangements will not apply to alternative employment in these circumstances. In cases where redeployment is on a temporary basis and forms part of the employees phased return to work or rehabilitation programme salary protection will apply i.e. will be entitled to full pay up to the first 8 weeks of their return to work providing the requirements outlined in the phased return have been met. Temporary redeployment will normally be for a period of no more than 3 months. In exceptional circumstances the manager and the HR Department can agree to extend the redeployment for a single period that should not exceed one month. Monitoring Sickness Absence Records of sickness absence are held centrally and information will be reported on a monthly basis to Directors for distribution to line managers. The HR Department will be responsible for recording the data and producing the reports. The reports will include the number of day s sickness, frequency, reason for absence and a Bradford Factor score. This information should be discussed with line managers where appropriate with a view to addressing individual absences within their respective areas. Where there appears to be a pattern of absence or frequent intermittent absences the HR Department may initiate a discussion with the employee s line manager. As the information produced within the reports is confidential and should therefore be discussed only with relevant parties. Confidentiality All discussions and any records must be treated in total confidence. It is recognised that some absences may arise from personally sensitive circumstances which may be difficult for the employee to discuss openly with their line manager. Should this be the case then the employee may refer the matter, confidentially, to their HR Advisor, as long as they advise the line manager that they are doing so. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 14 of 21

Sickness absence counselling can raise issues in respect of equal opportunities e.g. gender specific conditions, race specific conditions, HIV/AIDS, stress, harassment or disability issues. Managers must ensure that such issues are responded to or referred appropriately and managed in a confidential and sensitive manner. Medical Appointments Both managers and employees should be aware of the criteria that needs to be applied when paid time off to attend medical appointments is sought. In order to determine whether the request is reasonable, managers should give the following consideration prior to any approval: the purpose for which the time off is required the amount of time off required the occasions on which it is required implication on the service delivery of the team whether the employee is working flexibly and could arrange the appointment in his/her own time whether appointments can be rearranged for times to avoid least disruption i.e. at the start or end of the working day and/or agree the time off in advance. Becta is only bound to grant such amount of time off as is reasonable in the circumstances. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 15 of 21

Appendix 1 Explanation of the Bradford Factor The Bradford factor is a way of illustrating how disruptive frequent short term absence can be relative to occasional longer spells of absence. Bradford factor scores are a way of identifying individuals with serious absence and patterns of absence worthy of further investigation. It also helps highlights causes for concern and often is one of the first steps in an absence management procedure. The Bradford factor calculation is as follows: S x S x D Bradford points score So, for employees with a total of 14 days absence for example, in a rolling 52 week period the Bradford score can vary enormously, depending on the number of occasions involved. So, for example: 1 absence of 14 days is 14 points (i.e. 1 x 1 x 14) 7 absences of 2 days each is 686 points (i.e. 7 x 7 x 14) 14 absences of 1 day each is 2,744 points (i.e. 14 x 14 x 14) Although a rolling year is common, other timescales such as 13 weeks may be used, with the associated points total correspondingly lower. Of course for the Bradford factor to make a difference in monitoring sickness absence, the data that triggers it has to be accurately recorded in the first place, particularly the very absences that the formula is designed to deter. Becta s HR information system is set up to alert line managers that at certain points the trigger has been reached which requires action. This prompt usually occurs on a monthly basis. The Bradford factor score should not be used in isolation. The safest approach to make sure that any important decisions, such as disciplinary action, are not based around Bradford scores alone. The scores act best as a trigger to prompt line managers to investigate a case further where consistency and fairness have to be applied and where each individual case may be different. However, it can be a useful indicator that gives line managers information on which to open their conversation with the individual employee. Sometimes concerns are expressed that many cases of short term, frequent absence are legitimate and employees are wrongly being put under suspicion. But this can be dealt with by excluding certain types of absence from the calculations. By applying a common sense approach absence related for example, to pregnancy, a disability or underlying illness will, after a conversation with the employee concerned, be quickly eliminated from the point s total. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 16 of 21

Appendix 2 - Return to Work Interview Record Form Employee Details Surname:. Initials:.. Directorate:.. Dates of Absence: From: To: Date Returned To Work:. Medical Certificates Required: Medical Certificates Received: Yes/No Yes/No Self Certification Form Completed In My Presence: Yes/No Employee Stated That She/he Feels Fit To Perform Full Range Of Duties: Yes/No Reason(s) For Absence: Employees Comments:. Managers Comments/Action Taken:... Review Date (if appropriate): Signed:.. Date: Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 17 of 21

Appendix 3 Self-certification absence through illness Valid for up to 5 working days Any longer periods of absence must be covered by a Doctor s Certificate. 1 Personnel Details Employee Name: Team: 2 Self Certification Complete when you have been absent for seven consecutive days or less and you do not have a medical certificate. Number of working days absent Period of absence From: (1st day of absence) To: (last day of absence) Date returned to work: Please indicate if ill Saturday Sunday Week 1 on Saturday or Sunday Saturday Sunday Week 2 3 Medical Certificate Complete when you have been absent for more than seven consecutive days, including weekends and public holidays. I attach a medical certificate I have already sent a medical certificate Name and address of General Practitioner: Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 18 of 21

4 Nature of absence (illness, accident, disease) Details: If your absence was the result of an accident at work, have you completed an Accident Report form, F2508. *YES / NO These forms are available from the Health & Safety Officer, Facilities Department. (Please refer to the Accident Reporting Procedure for further information and/or guidance) * delete as appropriate INFECTIOUS DISEASES Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, requires employers to ensure that employees health is not prejudiced by their work. This includes taking such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that people at work are not exposed to infectious diseases. It is therefore good practice to insist that employees who have contracted, or who come into contact with an infectious disease, inform the employer immediately; medical advice should be sought on any further action to be taken. Some of the diseases which should be notified in this way are: German measles (rubella), typhoid, food poisoning, severe diarrhoea, hepatitis, meningitis, polio, impetigo (or other serious skin infections), scabies, ringworm and athletes foot. 5 Declaration I certify the above information is correct. Signature: Date: Signature of Line Manager Date: The completed form must be sent to the HR Department within 3 days of your return to work Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 19 of 21

Appendix 4 AMRA Form ACCESS TO MEDICAL REPORTS ACT 1988 SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE ACT 1. You can withhold your consent to the report being provided to the company. 2. You have 21 days in which to ask your doctor to show you the report before he/she sends it to our Corporate Medical Adviser (and you may pay for a copy if you wish). 3. You can ask the doctor either to amend any part of the report which you consider to be misleading or, if the doctor does not agree to change it, you may add your own comment to the report. You may also withdraw your consent at that time. 4. There are certain circumstances under which the doctor may withhold the report from you if such action is felt to be in your best interests. 5. If you decide at the moment not to see the report you will still have six months in which to change your mind and to contact your doctor for a copy of the report. If you indicate on the Consent Form below that you do not wish to see the report then your doctor can send it to our doctor immediately. CONSENT FORM I hereby consent to a medical report being supplied in confidence by my Doctor and/or my Consultant Specialist (if applicable) to Occhea Limited, Corporate Medical Advisors to Becta specifically relating to... I have been informed of my statutory rights under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 and have read the summary of my principal rights under the Act as set out above. I understand that if any future medical information is required it will be necessary to renew this consent by signing a separate AMRA form. I do not require seeing any medical report before it is used* * Please delete the preceding sentence if you do wish to see reports before they are sent to us My doctor s name and full postal address is....tel No:.. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 20 of 21

The name and full postal address of my Consultant Specialist, if applicable is:.....tel No:. YOUR FULL NAME. ADDRESS POSTCODE..DATE OF BIRTH.. SIGNATURE DATE.. Version 3, January 2009 http://www.becta.org.uk page 21 of 21