Scope
The company rules in this Policy apply to all employees who have over 24 month’s service. Those employees with less than 24 month’s service may be subject to an abbreviated procedure.
Process for Sickness Absence
3.1 You are expected to be available to work during your normal working hours. You must make every effort to attend work. If you are not fit to work you must follow this policy.
3.2 There is a different procedure depending on your shift start time:
3.2.1 If you are not fit to work on a day when you are on one of the early shifts (7.30, 8 or 8.30am start) you must check the rota and text/WhatsApp the senior who is on the 7.30 shift between 6-6.30am. This will give that senior time to ask another member of staff to come in early to cover. Please be considerate to the management team and do not message on Sundays or late in the evening. Please keep messages brief and telephone the nursery later during the day with additional information, as per 3.2.3.
3.2.2 If you are not fit to work on a day when you are on a later shift (9, 9.30, 10am start) you must telephone the nursery at 7.20am.
3.2.3 When you telephone nursery you should not leave an answerphone message or a message with a colleague. You must state the reason for your absence and the date on which you expect to return to work, if you are able to determine that.
3.3 On any days you are absent you must call the nursery manager before 3pm to confirm if you will be fit to work the next day so that cover can be arranged. If you are not sure that you will be fit to work, you must state that so that cover can be arranged, because this is always more difficult to organise if you phone in sick again the following day, having said you will be working.
3.4 On your return to work you must complete an Absence Self-Certification / Return to Work Form (which is available from your manager) explaining the reason for your absence. You will have a Return to Work interview with your manager.
3.5 If your absence lasts for 8 or more consecutive calendar days then you must:-
3.5.1 Provide a Statement of Fitness for Work (Fit Note) from your Medical Practitioner stating that you are not fit to work. This form must be sent to Head Office immediately.
3.5.2 If your Fit Note says you may be able to return to work then you must contact the Company to discuss whether it is appropriate for you to return to work and if so, under what arrangements.
3.5.3 If you cannot return to work when your Fit Note expires, you must obtain another Fit Note from your Medical Practitioner and send it to Head Office immediately. Fit Notes are required to cover the total period of your absence.
3.5.4 You must telephone your manager at least 24 hours before you return to work so that arrangements can be made for your return.
3.5.5 If your last Fit Note does not specify a date on which you can resume your duties before you return you must supply the Company with evidence confirming that you are fit to return to work.
3.6 Statutory sick pay is payable after three days of illness.
3.7 Sick leave and holiday are not interchangeable. Please see FAQs below.
3.8 It may be useful to keep in contact with the nursery/manager during a long absence. A welfare meeting can be arranged to talk through any issues or concerns, review medical paperwork and complete a Wellbeing Support document or Wellness Action Plan.
3.9 Absence including sick leave is monitored using the Bradford Score as follows:
3.10 Sickness related to pregnancy will be recorded separately and will not be used to count towards any Bradford Score figures.
Bradford Score
3.11 In order to monitor the levels of such absence the Company uses the Bradford Score. This serves as a measure of both frequency and periods of absence.
How is it calculated?
3.12 The total number of days absence in the last 12 months is multiplied by the square of the number of times leave has been taken. Note that the last 12 months means a rolling 12 months and is not related to the leave year.
Examples
Miss A has been ill twice. Once for 2 days and once for 10 days.
Bradford score = 12 (total days) x 4 (2 occasions squared) = 48
If Miss A had supplied a sick note for the 10 day absence then this would not be included and her score would drop to 2
Miss B has been off sick 6 times, each of 2 days
Bradford score = 12 (total Days) x 36 (6 occasions squared) = 432
In both the examples, the total is the same but the number of occasions on which it is taken means that Miss B has a much higher score.
Why is this measure being used?
3.13 Frequent short-term absenteeism is difficult for the business to manage staffing and may indicate an underlying problem with sickness, stress or other difficulty (in or out of work) with being present at work. A high score represents a significant number of times off work which may need to be reviewed.
3.14 The Company is sympathetic to health issues of its employees but this always has to be balanced against the business needs and any disruption that this is causing the Company. The Company requires you to fully assist it and co-operate with it by attending any meetings to discuss your ill-health and providing the Company with as much information as possible to enable the Company to cope with your absence and make any necessary arrangements required to assist you back to work. The Company expects you to keep in regular contact during any absence period and to discuss with your Medical Practitioner or GP any alternative duties/job roles you feel you could safely undertake despite your ill-health or any changes to your current job or work environment that you feel could be made to allow you to return to work.
Process
3.15 On the first Monday of each month the Company Administrator will check the Bradford Scores. The results are emailed confidentially to each nursery manager and senior management. Action will be taken as follows:
|
Score |
Action |
| 0-99 | No Action. |
| 100-399
|
Stage 1 – You will be invited to an investigatory/counselling meeting to establish whether there are any underlying reasons for the levels of absence and to see whether there are any steps which the Company can take to enable your absence levels to improve |
| 400 and above | You will be invited to an investigatory/counselling meeting, as above, if you have not already attended one.
Stage 2 – If you have already attended an investigatory/ counselling meeting, the Company will consider taking formal action. This will be an investigation followed by an invitation to a formal hearing, which may result in a first written warning being issued |
| 600 and above | You must first be invited to an investigatory/counselling meeting then a formal hearing.
Stage 3 – If those two stages have been followed but the Bradford Score remains or rises to this level, the Company will consider taking disciplinary action in relation to unacceptable levels of sickness absence, which may result in a final written warning being issued |
| Stage 4 – If, following a final warning being issued the Bradford Score rises, the Company will consider taking formal action in relation to unacceptable levels of sickness absence, which may result in dismissal on notice. |
Ill Health Capability Procedure
Scope
3.16 This procedure applies to all employees.
Details of meetings and hearings
3.17 The following will also apply to any employee on long-term absence even if the Bradford Score is not over 100.
3.18 The following may be discussed during investigatory/counselling meetings:
- The reasons for your absence(s) and any impact your absences are having on the business.
- Where you are on long-term sickness absence, discussing how long the absence is likely to last.
- Where you have been absent on a number of occasions, discussing the likelihood of further absences.
- If it has not been obtained, considering whether medical advice is required. If it has been obtained, considering the advice that has been given and whether further advice is required. An occupational health review may be considered and the Company keeps a list of suitable Support Agencies.
- Considering your ability to return to/remain in your job in view both of your capability and the Company’s business needs and any adjustments that can reasonably be made to your job and/ or workplace to enable you to do so.
- Considering where you are able to return from long-term sick leave, adapted duties and/or agreeing a return to work programme.
- Agreeing a way forward, action that will be taken and a time-scale for review and/or any further meeting(s). You should at all stages seek to inform us as to any duties/roles that you feel that you might be able to safely undertake despite your ill health.
Hearings
3.19 Following the procedures set out above in relation to Bradford Scores, you may be invited to a formal hearing. You will be invited to the hearing in writing with reasonable notice and you will be entitled to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union representative.
3.20 The purposes of the hearing will be:
- To review any meetings that have taken place and matters already discussed with you.
- Where you remain on long-term sickness absence to consider whether there have been any significant changes since the last meeting as regards your possible return to work.
- To consider any further matters that you wish to raise.
- To consider whether there is a reasonable likelihood of you returning to work or achieving the desired level of attendance in a reasonable time period.
- To consider medical evidence that has been obtained, considering the advice that has been given and whether further advice is required.
- To consider whether your employment shall be terminated on the grounds of ill-health capability.
Termination
3.21 Termination will normally be with full notice or payment in lieu of notice.
3.22 An employee will have a right of appeal against any dismissal under these procedures and any appeal should be in writing, setting out the grounds of any such appeal and why the decision is deemed unfair and sent to Head Office within 5 days of notification of the dismissal decision.
FAQs
For clarification of the above and how sick leave works the following FAQs have been prepared:
1. I call in sick on Monday. Can I book the rest of the week off as holiday.
No. If you have called in sick then you are on sick leave for the duration of the period of sickness. You will receive statutory sick pay.
2. I call the Nursery on Monday to say that I don’t feel well and I’d like to book the rest of the week off. Can I do this?
No. You cannot decide you are ill and then take holiday which has not been authorised in advance.
3. I come in to work at 7.30am and decide that I am too ill to work. I go home at 10am. What will I be paid?
You will be paid a half day. You will then move to sick leave and statutory sick pay will be paid as it becomes due
4. I come in to work at 7.30am and decide that I am too ill to work. I go home at 8am. What will I be paid?
You will be paid for the hours you have worked or be able to take that time back another day.
5. I come in to work on Monday and feel under the weather. I think it might be wise if I took some time off. What can I do?
In accordance with the handbook, you may request leave. There is no rule about notice, although if it is inconvenient for the nursery then the leave request may be declined. Should you then decide not to attend work anyway, then you would go on to sick leave.
6. I come in to work on Monday and have seen a bargain holiday over the weekend, leaving Thursday for 2 weeks. Can I go on holiday?
Maybe. You would need to put your request in immediately and this would be reviewed in the light of the need for agency staff / how busy the nursery was. It is quite likely that the request would be declined as we would have had insufficient time to plan cover. However, if the nursery was very quiet or there was no-one else off then we may approve such a request.