If you are sick, you must call your manager on your first day of absence, no later than your normal start time. If your manager is not available, please contact the next most senior member of your team as well as leaving a message for your manager. You must then continue to update your manager at agreed intervals.
After seven consecutive calendar days’ absence, you will need to submit a fit note (a medical certificate) to your manager, and continue submitting them until you are back to work. Your manager will need to ensure that each medical certificate is sent to HR. It is very important this is done because if it is not, it is likely to mean that your sick pay will cease.
Managers are responsible for opening a period of sick leave on the HR system (i-trent) when the sickness is reported. You must close this (completing the reason for sickness) upon your return to work. Failure to do this will result in continuing sickness absence on the system which is likely to impact your pay.
Return to Work Discussions
Your manager should have a ‘Return to work discussion’ with you in private, even for short periods of sickness or sickness for an easily identifiable reason (such as a cold or known medical condition that you have). He/She may need to talk to you about whether there are any underlying causes. You may also need to be updated on developments within the team or with your work while you have been absent. Ideally, this meeting will take place on your first day back.
Your manager will also track overall sickness levels and patterns. If he or she has concerns about the number or frequency of days you are taking off sick, or a particular pattern that has arisen (e.g. regular Mondays or days either side of a holiday), there are a variety of different management tools he/she may wish to use to explore further with you. These are contained in the policy and guidance.