Most employees are ill now and again, and need time off work to recover. However, some employees, may have levels of absence that are unacceptable to the employer and will need to be investigated. Absence due to sickness falls into three main categories:
It's important to monitor sickness absence regularly so that a problem can be identified at an early stage, and if necessary, cases can be dealt with promptly, reasonably and consistently. Many companies will use a computerised sickness absence monitoring system combined with appropriate intervention from occupational health nurses or doctors.