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Our Absence Improvement Policy template is designed to support a healthier work environment by helping you to combat absenteeism, ensure fairness, and boost productivity.
1 Overview
1.1 It is recognised by the Company that from time to time staff may require to be absent from their place of work due to illness. The length of time lost by employees through illness must however be monitored to ensure that each member of staff is able to do their job, effectively and without putting themselves or others at risk. It is not the intention of the Company to penalise the genuinely sick, however it must be recognised that an employee who is medically unfit to carry out his/her contractual duties may not be able continue in employment.
2 Scope
2.1 This policy is applicable to all employees of [company name].
3 General principles
3.1 Managers will consider cases of sickness absence on an individual basis and ensure the provision of appropriate support, advice and Occupational Health / Company Approved Doctor input where appropriate. However, it is recognised that in some cases, patterns/levels of absence will be unacceptable and formal management action will be required.
3.2 Employees who become aware that they have an illness problem are encouraged to inform their manager at the earliest opportunity. All such requests will be dealt with as speedily and compassionately as possible.
3.1 Stages
On return from absence all employees must be interviewed by their immediate line manager. At this interview the employee and the line manager must complete a Return to work interview form agreeing the reason for the
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The Absence Improvement Policy is a foundational document designed to address and manage employee absenteeism effectively. This policy outlines clear procedures and expectations regarding attendance, providing a framework to support employees facing recurring absences. It aims to identify the root causes of absenteeism, offer support mechanisms, and establish a structured approach for managing and improving attendance.
This policy typically includes guidelines for reporting absences, defining acceptable reasons for leave, and implementing supportive measures such as return-to-work interviews or access to support services. It also outlines progressive steps in managing frequent or prolonged absences, ensuring consistency and fairness in addressing absenteeism issues. By setting out a structured approach, this policy promotes a proactive response to absenteeism, aiming to foster a culture of accountability and support among employees.
The Absence Improvement Policy serves as a tool for promoting consistent attendance while acknowledging and accommodating genuine reasons for absence. It acts as a mechanism for organisations to engage with employees experiencing frequent absences, identifying challenges they may face and providing the necessary support to facilitate attendance improvement. Ultimately, this policy aims to strike a balance between supporting employees' well-being and maintaining productivity within the workplace.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Absence improvement policy, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
Our absence improvement guide offers insights and strategies for improving employee attendance and reducing absenteeism.
Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.
Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Absence improvement policy template, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Absence improvement policy template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing absence and attendance processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
Absence and attendance policies
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