Absence and attendance policy templates
Our Absence and Attendance Policy Templates address absenteeism challenges, promoting a productive and accountable work environment.
If you need policies to communicate your company rules and support regarding absence and attendance, these policy templates provide an effective legal framework.
They will assist you to help your employees understand common issues such as:
- How you approach work-life balance
- How you handle employees with an unreasonable level of absence
- How you support everyone to be healthier and provide good employee wellbeing
By addressing these subjects in a formal policy, you will set out good expectations at an early stage, and it will allow you to deal with any issues reasonably and effectively.
What are Absence and Attendance Policies?
Absence and attendance policies are put in place by organisations to provide guidelines and procedures for managing employee absences and attendance. These policies serve several purposes, including:
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Providing clarity: An absence and attendance policy can provide employees with clear guidelines and expectations regarding their attendance and absence from work. This can help to minimize confusion and reduce the risk of misunderstandings between employers and employees.
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Promoting consistency: By establishing clear procedures for managing employee absences and attendance, an absence and attendance policy can help to promote consistency and fairness in how absences are managed across the organisation.
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Ensuring compliance: An absence and attendance policy can help to ensure that the organisation is complying with relevant laws and regulations related to employee leave.
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Reducing costs: By establishing clear procedures for managing employee absences, an absence and attendance policy can help to reduce costs associated with absenteeism, such as lost productivity and increased staffing costs.
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Managing risk: An absence and attendance policy can help to manage the risk of legal claims related to employee leave by ensuring that the organization is following established procedures for managing employee absences.
Overall, absence and attendance policies are important tools for organisations to ensure that employee absences are managed effectively, fairly, and in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
What legal and best practice aspects should employers be aware of when implementing Absence and attendance policy templates?
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The Equality Act 2010: This legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics such as age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. When developing attendance policies, it's important to ensure that they do not discriminate against any particular group of employees or disadvantage individuals with protected characteristics.
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The Working Time Regulations 1998: This legislation sets out the maximum number of working hours per week, as well as minimum rest breaks and holidays for most workers. Employers must ensure that their attendance policies comply with these regulations and do not require employees to work longer hours than is legally allowed.
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The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: This legislation places a duty on employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees. Employers should consider how their absence and attendance policies might affect employee wellbeing and should take steps to ensure that their policies do not compromise employee health or safety.
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The Data Protection Act 2018: This legislation sets out the requirements for the collection, use, and storage of personal data. Employers must ensure that any data collected as part of attendance monitoring is done in compliance with this legislation.
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The Employment Rights Act 1996: This legislation sets out various employee rights, including the right to statutory sick pay and protection against unfair dismissal. Employers should ensure that their attendance policies comply with these rights and do not place employees in a disadvantaged position.
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The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999: This legislation sets out the rights of employees to take time off for family-related reasons, such as maternity leave or parental leave. Employers should ensure that their attendance policies take account of these rights and do not discriminate against employees who exercise them.
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The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992: This legislation regulates industrial relations and sets out the rights of employees to join trade unions and participate in collective bargaining. Employers should ensure that their attendance policies do not infringe on these rights or discriminate against employees who are trade union members.
Our Absence Improvement Policy template is designed to support a healthier work environment by helping you to combat absenteeism, ensure fairness, and boost productivity.
Our Alternative Absence Policy Template streamlines managing non-holiday/sickness absences, fostering fairness and reducing disruptions.
Our Annual Leave Policy template simplifies time-off requests, ensures fair allocation, and fosters a well-rested workforce for better productivity.
Our Jury Service Policy Template ensures clarity and fairness in managing employee obligations and rights during jury service.
Our Parental Bereavement Leave Policy Template offers compassionate support, helping employees cope with loss while maintaining work-life balance.
Our Sabbatical Policy Template empowers employees to take a break for personal growth, reducing burnout and enhancing long-term productivity.
Our Sick Absence Policy Template facilitates effective sick leave management, supports employees' health, and minimises disruptions in the workplace.
Our Time Off for Dependants Policy Template aids employees during family emergencies, ensuring compassionate support without work worries.
Our Timekeeping Policy Template promotes punctuality, accountability, and efficient workflow management for a more productive work environment.
Our Unauthorised Absence Policy Template tackles absenteeism, enforces accountability, and maintains a productive work culture.
- The documents are easily editable and implementable, saving you time and money
- All content is designed by CIPD accedited Chartered HR practitioners with operational experience in this area
- You will maintain compliance with ACAS guidelines, legislation, and industry best practices
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- 12 months of unrestricted access without any additional costs (any update in that period is free to you)
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