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View full libraryOur Absence Review Meeting Script Template facilitates constructive discussions, identifying causes and solutions for improved attendance.
If you have concerns over an employee's absence record, use this model script in an absence review meeting to ensure that you cover all important points.
An employer should hold a meeting where there is some concern the level of absence of an employee, such as frequency, pattern or number of occasions/days.
If you are managing sickness absence, the toolkit brings together practical HR templates covering absence reporting, return-to-work meetings, reviews, support and formal action.
1 [Preparing for the meeting]
1.1 Book a private room in an appropriate location and set sufficient time aside for the meeting.
1.2 Send a letter to the employee inviting them to the meeting, outlining its purpose and notifying them of their right to be accompanied.
1.3 Review the employee's absence record to identify any patterns / causes for concern.
1.4 Review notes or outcomes from any previous review / return to work meetings and reports from Occupational Health / medical practitioners.
1.5 Establish what further information needs to be obtained at the meeting and consider, but do not pre-empt, possible outcomes.
2 [Opening the meeting]
2.1 Introduce all people present and outline their role in the meeting.
Remind the employee of
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The purpose of the Absence Review Meeting Script Template is to guide HR personnel and managers in conducting structured and productive meetings with employees to discuss their patterns of absenteeism.
The script provides a framework for addressing the reasons behind the employee's absences, identifying any underlying issues or challenges they may be facing, and collaboratively finding solutions to improve attendance. By using this template, HR can ensure consistency in conducting absence review meetings, promote open communication with employees, and implement appropriate measures to support and address any attendance-related concerns.
The template aids in fostering a positive and supportive work environment, encouraging employees to maintain regular attendance and contributing to overall workforce productivity and engagement.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Absence review meeting script, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
The Absence Review Meeting Invitation Letter formally invites an employee to a meeting to review their sickness absence, attendance record and any underlying issues affecting their ability to attend work.
Our Concern about absence Letter template is used to notify an employee that you have a concern over their level of absence, that may warrant disciplinary action should it happen again.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Absence review meeting script should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
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 review meeting script 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.
It helped the manager avoid forgetting an important point while still allowing the discussion to flow. The prompts helped keep the conversation focused on the right issues. We found it easy to personalise without having to rewrite the whole thing.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Absence review meeting script 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 and supporting information 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 sick management HR 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."
Whether you employ 5 people or 50, hrdocbox gives you the structure, documents and expertise needed to manage employees professionally and legally.
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