Managers guide to absence improvement
Our absence improvement guide offers insights and strategies for improving employee attendance and reducing absenteeism.
It provides practical advice on addressing frequent or prolonged absences, implementing supportive policies, and fostering a positive work environment.
Specs:
10 mins to read
901 words, 3 A4 pages
Reviewed 2 September 2025
Support:
Legal compliance
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Document sequence
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Managers guide to absence improvement
Purpose
This guide equips managers with clear, fair and supportive steps to address attendance concerns. It promotes open communication, early support and reasonable adjustments while maintaining accountability.
Outcome
Where this guide is followed and, despite reasonable support and opportunities to improve, attendance does not improve to an acceptable and sustained level, dismissal may be a reasonable outcome following a fair process.
Core Principles
Consistency: Apply the Absence Improvement Policy and review points consistently across teams. This avoids perceptions of unfair treatment and builds trust in the process.
Support first: Explore health, personal or work-related factors and consider reasonable adjustments before moving to formal measures. Employees should feel that the organisation is committed to helping them improve.
Good records: Keep accurate notes of all conversations, medical evidence, agreed actions, and review dates. These records form the evidence base for any further action.
Confidentiality: Handle health information sensitively and lawfully. Only share details with those who need to know, in line with GDPR and company policy.
Practical Steps
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Clear reporting: Ensure employees know who to contact, by what time, and through what method (e.g., phone call to manager by 9am). Provide a written absence reporting procedure and reinforce it during inductions and team briefings.
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Return-to-work (RTW) interviews: Conduct a RTW discussion after every period of absence, no matter how short. Use a standard RTW form to capture details such as the reason for absence, fitness to return, and any support needs. Where patterns emerge, use this as a discussion point.
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Support mechanisms: Signpost employees to relevant resources such as Occupational Health referrals, counselling, mental health
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Legal compliance
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Employment Rights Act 1996: Provides the legal framework for handling absence, including procedures for managing and improving attendance.
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Equality Act 2010: Ensures absence improvement measures are implemented fairly and do not discriminate against employees based on protected characteristics.
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Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: Requires employers to provide a safe working environment, including addressing absence issues that may impact health and safety.
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Data Protection Act 2018 (incorporating GDPR): Mandates that handling absence-related data complies with data protection principles.
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Company Policies and Employment Contracts: Internal policies and contractual agreements may outline specific absence improvement procedures and expectations.
What is this for?
Most sickness is genuine and unauthorised absence may be caused by family commitments or stress. However, these situations are difficult to manage because they are often sudden and unexpected. This leaves some managers feeling unsure about what they can do. This Guide to Absence Improvement offers a comprehensive roadmap for organisations to proactively manage and reduce employee absenteeism.
This guide comprises strategies and best practices aimed at understanding, addressing, and diminishing the instances of unplanned employee absences.
It provides insights into identifying patterns, exploring the root causes of absenteeism, and implementing effective measures to foster better attendance.
Document sequence
Absence improvement policy
Our Absence Improvement Policy template is designed to support a healthier work environment by helping you to combat absenteeism, ensure fairness, and boost productivity.
Managers guide to return to work interviews
This guide provides guidance on conducting effective return to work (RTW) interviews after periods of absence, helping managers gather relevant information, address any concerns or barriers, and facilitate a smooth transition back to work.
