OVERVIEW
This course has been created to help safely navigate attendees through the
minefield of absence management, paying attention to issues of systems,
procedures and organisational culture along the way. Using a selection of
exercises, activities and sample documents, the course examines some traditional
methods of management as well as some more contemporary and innovative ways of
keeping a lid on casual absence. Attendees will take away a number of practical
tools and ideas to enable them to target performance improvement when back at
their desks.
DESCRIPTION
It’s estimated that absence from work costs the UK economy over £13 billion per
year, with the ‘average’ employee taking around seven days off sick annually.
The need for managers, HR people and leaders to control absenteeism is critical
if a company is to survive and prosper.
But just what is ‘absence’? And how do we go about managing it and reducing it
wherever we can, without falling foul of employment law?
As well as the usual training material, attendees on this course also receive
several useful handouts and exercises relating to absence management.
Topics covered:
* An Absence Management Model – this section identifies a simple model for
managers to apply when dealing with absenteeism
* Defining Absence – the text book definition will help learners clearly
understand what is meant by absence
* Types of Absence – unravelling the different types of absence and
distinguishing between absence and leave
* Classifying Absence – by classifying types of absence, the learner can begin
to get a steer on how to manage it
* Statistics – identifying the real cost of absence and looking at regional and
sector differences
* Reasons for Absence – considering the high-level issues that have an impact
on absence, like culture and job design
* Causes of Sickness – here the national league tables of sickness causes are
discussed, giving the learner the chance to reflect on their own team or
company
* Absence Management – Stage 1 – contracts, policies, procedures and legal
entitlements are all examined here, to allow learners to get a grasp of what
they have to know to
* Absence Management – Stage 2 – record keeping, costing absence and
benchmarking provide the chance for analysis and understanding in the context
of the learner’s own organisation
* Absence Management – Stage 3 – setting out the skills and interventions that
managers need to apply in the effective management of absence, including:
communication, professional advice, workplace issues and return to work
interviews
* Traditional Approaches – an examination of performance management, sick pay,
discipline, recruitment and selection and how these can lend themselves to
effective absence management
* Reducing Absenteeism – through less traditional approaches, looking at
‘carrots and sticks’, targets, employee assistance, unusual initiatives and
organisational culture.
* Recent Developments – considering the impact of ‘fit notes’ and potential
pandemics.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This course has been designed for anyone that deals with absence or needs to
have an awareness of the absence management process. This could include; Team
leaders, supervisors, managers, HR professionals and anyone else involved in the
management of people or organisations.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTENDANCE
None.