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Dear Teleperformance
Stacey has been working as a CSR for eight years; she has had ongoing sickness issues since she started in post. Over a period of three years Stacey’s sickness absence has increased, amounting to:
• 5 episodes over 23 days during 2012
• 6 episodes over 25 days during 2013
• 8 episodes over 27 days during 2014.
Reasons for sickness have included vomiting, colds, coughs, back ache, bereavement, frequent sore throats and a fall.
TM Airdrie.
Dear TM,
Before taking action you should check the folowing;
• has the absence been reported
• Confidential Self Certification form
• Medical certificates
• Return to work documentation
• Occupational Health Management Referral Form
• Letters of invite to formal sickness reviews
• Stacey’s individual record card with the dates of her sickness
• Incident form if fall occurred at work
In this case 8 periods of absence in a 12 month rolling period seems excessive
Providing everything detailed above is in order I would recommend the consideration of disciplinary action for short term persistent absence if there has not been any improvement.
The target that you set Stacey needs to be fair and reasonable and a target should not be set where if it is expected that the employee will automatically fail it (for example if there is an underlying problem and the staff member is expected to have more absences because of this, setting a target of no absence for a set period is not realistic).
If Stacey did not meet the target you set for her, you would hold a further meeting with Stacey (contact your HR Adviser for support with this). A further meeting could result in the following:
• A further review period and target
• A referral to the disciplinary policy for unacceptable attendance
• Termination of their contract of employment for unacceptable attendance.
If there are no underlying problems and that there is no reason why Stacey cannot sustain her attendance, then a 100% target over a set period (for example 3 months), would not be an unrealistic target for her to meet.
Dear Teleperformance
One client has a number of employees on long-term sick. Many of these employees had been off work for six months or more (and in some cases over a year).
As the employer we have liability for sick pay during this time, which is not an insignificant cost to the business.
CCM Glasgow.
Dear CCM,
Firstly, we would advise you to understand the precise nature of each employee’s condition and how it impacted on their ability to attend work, and advised the TM's how to hold initial meetings with the employees to discuss their health and prognosis.
In the more complex cases, it may be necessary to seek consent from the individuals for their GPs to provide a medical report. By obtaining such a report, it allows the employer to understand better the likely timescales involved for recovery and to gain a professional opinion on what adjustments may be appropriate (if any).
After establishing the nature of each individual’s illness, you should:
Consider whether there were any reasonable adjustments that the employer could make to the individuals’ roles to enable them to return to work. This may be, for an employee with mobility issues, for example, to offer extended breaks or remove lifting duties, or change the employee’s place of work which did not have any stairs;
On the possibility of suitable alternative roles which would allow the individual to return to work within the organisation if they could not continue in their present role. Again, for a person with mobility problems, it may be feasible for them to move a less physically demanding role (i.e. an office role);
Finally if, after discussion, there were no adjustments that could be made, nor any suitable alternative employment offered, then we considered the remaining option of dismissal on the grounds of ill-health capability, balancing the interests of the employee against the needs of the employer.
This will ensure that your TM's were guided through a fair dismissal process and were confident in making this decision.
The process is a fairly sensitive one and it was important to navigate both the sensitive nature of employee ill-health and the legal risks involved, such as the potential for a disability discrimination claim and/or a claim for unfair dismissal (which could result in a costly claim).
Across
3. Most common type of absence
5. You may want to consider this type of agreement
6. Who we work for.
7. Must be completed each time and employee is off.
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1. Our new comic book hero
2. How to ease someone back in to the workplace
4. Are you ready for this step
In addition to carrying out effective return to work discussions, there are workplace issues you can address to minimise absence. These include the quality of management, working relationships, job design, employment relations, communication of information and flexible working arrangements. In addition, if workers know that absence will be noticed and investigated, they are less likely to take time off work without proper cause.
Look out for future editions including Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Investigation, Disciplinary, Performance Management and many more
Susan Wilson HRBP Kilmarnock Susan.Wilson@teleperformance.com 44 (0) 1236 628100
David McGowan HR Mgr CPt/Gateshead david.mcgowan@cptc.co.uk
Sarah Lynch HRBP Gateshead/Leeds Sarah.Lynch@teleperformance.co.uk 44 (0) 1914 935226
Chris Gray HRBP Airdrie Christopher.Gray@Teleperformance.com 44 (0) 1236 628119
James Keegans HRBP Glasgow james.keegans@teleperformance.com
Scott Evans HRBP Airdrie Scott.Evans@teleperformance.co.uk 44 (0) 1236 634079
Jennifer Stephenson, Snr HRBP Bangor Jennifer.Stephenson@Teleperformance.com 44 (0) 2891 474542
Fraser Loudon HR Mgr Scotland Fraser.Loudon@teleperformance.com 44 (0) 1236 634046
Alan Gilchrist HRBP Erskine Alan.Gilchrist@Teleperformance.com 44 (0) 1236 628152
Peter Carson HR Mgr 07967698784, peter.carson@teleperformance.co.uk
Fiona Thomson HRBP Glasgow fiona.thomson@cptc.co.uk 44 (0) 141 565 8016
Across
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5. Flexible
6. Teleperformance
7. RTW
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1. Tammie
2. Phased
4. Disciplinary
RETURN TO WORK
• Ask your HR Business Partner to support
• In the first instance, and if the employee is able to travel, invite them into TP so it remains familiar and they are able to see their colleagues.
• If an employee is reluctant to come into the office, suggest meeting on neutral ground such as a local coffee shop.
• If an employee cannot travel or is reluctant to meet in the office or on neutral ground, arrange a home visit.
• Do – obtain as much information as possible with regards to when the employee is likely to return to work and find out if any adjustments are necessary
• Don’t – put pressure on an employee to return before they are ready.
Involve Occupational Health
• Liaise with your HR Business Partner to see if an occupational health referral could be appropriate.
What steps can you take to assist an employee’s return to work?
• Consider a phased return or part-time hours.
• Can you modify, temporarily or permanently, the individual’s work activities?
• Can you provide new or modify existing equipment e.g. chairs, headsets or keyboards?
• Can additional or refresher training be provided?
• The Company recognises the contribution which each individual can make to the business irrespective of their age, gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, race, colour, religious belief, disability, political opinion, ethnic/cultural/natural origin and whether or not they are members of a trade union.
• It is everyone’s responsibility to provide an environment of Equal Opportunities for all. Our standards of best practice apply to all our dealings with one another and in particular in the following areas:
• Behavior at work
• Approach to working arrangements
• Training and Development
• Job advertising and selection
• Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably than someone in similar circumstances was treated or might have been treated due for example, to gender, religious, marital status, contract etc.
What you need to know as a Team Manager
• Do you know when the employee is likely to return to work?
• If not, what steps can you take to investigate and obtain a clearer prognosis?
• If so, are there any practical steps you can take to help the employee return to work sooner?
• What actions should you and/or TP take to prepare for the return to work at the appropriate time?
• What support might the employee require following his/her return to work?
Dismissal in cases of long-term absence
• If an employee appears unlikely to return to work within “reasonable” timescales, you may need to consider dismissal due to capability.
• Consult with HR and Occupational Health.
• Ensure there is a fair procedure for handling the dismissal of LTA employees. This must include:
• Consultation with the employee
• Medical investigation
• Consideration, where appropriate, of alternative employment before dismissing.
Maintain contact by telephone
• The individual has the responsibility to telephone their manager to notify of any absence
• As a Team Manager you should be conducting care calls.
• Keep a note of contact made on file, and any discussions that have been carried out.
• Be flexible; treat each case individually, but on a fair and consistent basis.
• Maintain confidentiality as appropriate.
Long Term Absence
• Initially telephone the employee on a weekly basis and then ask them to contact you at a specific time every week. This puts the responsibility on the employee.
• Keep a note of contact made on a care call form.
• Take time to get to know the employee and create a climate of trust.
• Be flexible; treat each case individually, but on a fair and consistent basis.
• Maintain confidentiality as appropriate
Absence Review meeting
When an employee is absent for 2 continuous weeks or more, they are deemed to be long-term sick (LTA).
Long-term absence is handled most effectively through early interventions and actions
• Take each case on own merits
• Apply same standards to all
• Most effective action to reduce absence is to consistently conduct return –to-work interviews
• Investigate each absence
• Consider whether an improvement in attendance is likely.
• Set Expectations
• Discuss consequences
• Follow up
It is essential that persistent absence is dealt with promptly, firmly and consistently in order to show both the employee concerned and other employees that absence is regarded as a serious matter and may result in Disciplinary action
What is short-term absence?
• When an employee is repeatedly absent for short periods.
• A high incidence of absence over a given period, may not, in itself necessarily be problematic if this is not the norm for the employee and if the causes are evident, for example a medical condition that recurs over a limited period.
• If absence is less frequent but persists over a long period, for example, an employee who repeatedly takes one or two days off every month over several months, may be a greater cause for concern.
• The causes of short-term absence can be varied.
A Return to work interview should take place after every incidence of absence
On the day the employee Returns to work before carrying out any other duties
Completed by the Employees line manager or duty manager at the time of employees return.
The employee may not feel comfortable discussing personal affairs with line manager so alternative can be offered
A Return to work interview can be carried out in a number of locations, depending on the circumstances.
The Decision on where the Meeting takes place is down to a number of factors
• Sickness Absence
• AWOL & Unauthorised
• Unpaid Leave
• Maternity/Adoption (handout)
• Paternity
• Parental
• Compassionate
• Dependants
• Annual Leave
• Jury Duty
• Medical Appointments
Is disciplinary action appropriate?
• Monitor data:
What absence patterns are evident?
What proportion of absence is uncertified?
What are the reasons for absence?
What information has been gathered?
Do you have?
• Reasonable grounds to believe employee not genuinely ill?
• Unacceptable disruption to the organisation
Use meeting to identify
Use meeting to identify the following:
• Effect of pattern of absence
• Likelihood of continuation
•Whether changes would assist absences
• Whether absences are disability-related
• Formal warning appropriate?
• Effect of pattern of absence
• Likelihood of continuation
• Whether changes would assist absences
• Whether absences are disability-related
• Formal warning appropriate?