Employment Handbook Sickness Absence

Transcription

1 Employment Handbook Sickness Absence Sickness Absence If you are unable to attend work for any reason, you should notify your Line Manager before 9am on the first day of absence stating the reason for your absence, the date when you first became ill, the estimated date you expect to return to work and whether your illness is as a result of an accident at work. They will inform the Accounts Manager as appropriate, to ensure the correct payment of wages is made. For illnesses of less than seven days, including weekends, you must fill out a selfcertified sickness on the HR System on your return to work. This will automatically route through to your Line Manager and HR. For illnesses lasting 7 days or more (including Saturdays and Sundays), a Doctor s / Hospital Medical Certificate should be provided where a claim for sick pay is to be made. Details of the submission of these forms are set out later in the document under "Sickness Benefit Rules". You have a responsibility to submit certificates on time. Where sickness is ongoing it is your responsibility to ensure that certificates follow on from each other. Failure to do so may result in non payment of sick pay and may be treated as a disciplinary matter. Resumption of Work You must notify your Line Manager that you have resumed work following a period of sickness absence. If you have been on sick leave you must formally resume work before going on holiday. Following each occasion of absence irrespective of the duration, staff are required to attend a return to work interview on their return with their Line Manager. Payment of Wages while Sick Payment during sickness is made in accordance with the following scale, which shows the maximum payment during any one calendar year: a) Employees with less than 3 months service - qualifying employees will receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) only. b) Employees with 3 months to 5 years continuous service - 3 months at full pay (including Statutory Sick Pay), with 3 further months at half pay. These payments include your SSP entitlement. May 2017 Page 1 of 6 Issue 2

2 c) Employees with more than 5 years continuous service - 4 months at full pay (including Statutory Sick Pay), with 2 further months at 75% of salary. These payments include your SSP entitlement. After 6 months continuous absence due to personal injury or sickness, Employees may benefit under Urban Saints Permanent Health Insurance Scheme. The Scheme is designed to provide some salary continuation in the event of long-term sickness or disability. (The policy does not cover employees above the normal state retirement age). Please contact the HR department for more deails. Urban Saints reserve the right at its sole discretion to extend the terms of sickness payments in any individual case. Employees not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) may be entitled to claim Incapacity Benefit" from the Benefits Agency direct. To enable them to do that they should request a "SSP1 Form" from the Senior Finance Manager. Accidents If your absence is or may be the fault of a Third Party from whom damages are, or may be recoverable, you must immediately notify the Finance Manager of this fact and of any claim, compromise, settlement or judgement made or awarded in connection with it. You must give Urban Saints all particulars, which are reasonably required. Further, you must refund to Urban Saints that part of any damages recovered relating to salary paid for the period you are unable to work. Sickness Benefit Rules 1. Start of Benefit No Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is payable for the first 3 days of illness. If you are absent from work, through illness, for more than 3 days you are required to submit a sickness absence form on the HR system which will automatically route through to your Line Manager and HR. Please note that since no part of SSP is recoverable by Urban Saints it will not actually be paid unless the amount due exceeds the employee s normal salary entitlement. Expectant mothers are disqualified from SSP for the period during which Statutory Maternity Pay is paid. 2. Self Certification This needs to be completed on the HR system, it will then automatically route through to your Line Manager and HR. It is completed by you and does not require a doctor s signature. If however the period of illness exceeds seven days you are required to obtain a full medical certificate signed by your doctor. If four "self-certificated claims are made within any period of 12 months, the Benefits Agency may require a review by their Regional Medical Service, which may involve a medical examination prior to any further benefit being paid. May 2017 Page 2 of 6 Issue 2

3 Similarly if four "self-certificated" claims have been made within any period of 12 months Urban Saints may require you to be medically examined by an independent medical adviser before any further payment is allowed from Urban Saints. Statutory Sick Pay rates Details of the current rates of SSP can be obtained, via the Urban Saints Acounts Manager, from the external bureau handling the Urban Saints Payroll. Employees not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) may be entitled to claim Incapacity Benefit" from the Benefits Agency direct. To enable them to do that they should request a "SSP1 Form" from the Accounts Manager. Summary of Sickness or Injury Procedure Day 1 Days 2 & 3 Day 4 Days 5, 6 & 7 Day 8 Get a message to your Line Manager giving the reason for absence and expected date of return. No certificate required. No certificate required but keep your Line Manager informed as to how you are and when you hope to return. Please log your sickness absence on the HR system, this will automatically route through to your Line Manager and HR. This does not require a Doctor s signature. Including weekends and Bank Holidays - Self-certification. If still absent, full medical certificate signed by GP or hospital doctor must be obtained and sent to the Business and Accounts Manager. Thereafter certificates required at weekly intervals until final certificate obtained on return to work. May 2017 Page 3 of 6 Issue 2

4 Sickness Absence Meetings Procedure Urban Saints acknowledge that employees may be absent from work due to sickness from time to time however the nature and frequency of absence may result in staff who are absent being considered incapable of performing their role they were employed to do and puts their continued employment at risk. While sickness absence is not a disciplinary issue, the provisions of the absence management procedure may lead to warnings and ultimately dismissal if absence continues. Where an employee s absence level or pattern of absence reaches a level deemed unacceptable, the employee will be invited in writing to an informal counselling session. The purpose of the counselling session is to put the employee on notice that the employees level or pattern of absence is a cause for concern and that formal action may be taken in order to give the employee an opportunity to improve it. Urban Saints may apply a formal absence procedure whenever it considers it necessary, including if, for example, an employee: Has been absent due to illness on a number of occasions; Has discussed matters at a return to work interview that require investigation; and/or Has been absent for more than 28 days. Unless it is impractical to do so, Urban Saints will give you written notice of the date, time and place of a sickness absence meeting. Urban Saints will put any concerns about sickness absence and the basis for those concerns in writing or otherwise advise you why the meeting is being called. The meeting will be conducted by your Line Manager. You may bring a companion with you to the meeting. You must take all reasonable steps to attend a meeting. If you or your companion is unable to attend at the time specified, you should immediately inform your Line Manager who will seek to agree an alternative time. A meeting may be adjourned if your Line Manager is awaiting receipt of information, needs to gather any further information or give consideration to matters discussed at a previous meeting. You will be given a reasonable opportunity to consider any new information obtained before the meeting is reconvened. Confirmation of any decision made at a meeting, the reasons for it, and of the right of appeal will be given in writing. Right to be accompanied You may bring a companion to any formal meeting or appeal meeting under this procedure. The companion may be either a trade union representative or a fellow employee. Their identity must be confirmed to the person conducting the meeting, in good time before it takes place. May 2017 Page 4 of 6 Issue 2

5 Stage 1: First sickness absence meeting The purposes of the first sickness absence meeting may include: Discussing the reasons for absence. Where an employee is on long-term sickness absence, determining how long the absence is likely to last; Where an employee has been absent on a number of occasions, determining the likelihood of further absences; Considering whether medical advice is required; Considering what, if any, measures might improve health and/or attendance; and/or Agreeing a way forward, action that will be taken and a time-scale for review and/or a further meeting under the sickness absence procedure. If appropriate, the employee will be issued with a written warning recording the fact that the attendance level is unacceptable, the improvement required and that a failure to improve attendance may result in the matter being progressed to stage 2 of the procedure. Stage 2: Further sickness absence meeting(s) Depending on the matters discussed at the first stage of the sickness absence procedure, a further meeting or meetings may be necessary. The purposes of further meetings may include: Discussing the reasons for and impact of ongoing absence(s); Where an employee is on long-term sickness absence, discussing how long the absence is likely to last; Where an employee has 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; Considering the employee's ability to return to/remain in their job in view both of their capabilities and Urban Saints needs and any adjustments that can reasonably be made to their job to enable them to do so; Considering possible redeployment opportunities and whether any adjustments can reasonably be made to assist an employee to redeploy; Where an employee is able to return from long-term sick leave, whether to their job or a different job, agreeing a return to work programme; and Agreeing a way forward, action that will be taken and a time-scale for review and/or a further meeting(s). This may, depending on steps already taken by Urban Saints, include warning the employee that they are at risk of dismissal. If appropriate, the employee will be issued with a written warning recording the fact that the attendance level is unacceptable, the improvement required and that a failure to improve attendance may result in the matter being progressed to stage 3 of the procedure. May 2017 Page 5 of 6 Issue 2

6 Stage 3: Final sickness absence meeting Where an employee has been warned that they are at risk of dismissal, Urban Saints may invite them to a meeting under the third stage of the sickness absence procedure. The purposes of the meeting will be: To review the meetings that have taken place and matters discussed with the employee; To inform the employee that dismissal is now being contemplated; Where the employee remains on long-term sickness absence to consider whether there have been any changes since the last meeting under stage two of the procedure; either as regards the employee's possible return to work or opportunities for return or redeployment; To consider any further matters that the employee wishes to raise; and To consider whether there is a reasonable likelihood of the employee returning to work or achieving the desired level of attendance in a reasonable time. If the sickness absence remains unresolved Urban Saints may dismiss the employee, once the employee has been through each stage of the warnings. Appeals An employee may appeal against the outcome of any stage of this procedure and may bring a companion to an appeal meeting (see above for the right to be accompanied). An appeal should be made in writing, stating the full grounds of appeal, to the HR Manager. In cases of dismissal, the appeal will be held as soon as possible. Any new matters raised in an appeal may delay an appeal meeting if further investigation is required. An employee will be provided with written details of any new information which comes to light before an appeal meeting. They will also be given a reasonable opportunity to consider this information before the meeting. Where practicable, an appeal meeting will be conducted by person who is more senior to the individual who conducted the sickness absence meeting. Following an appeal the original decision may be confirmed, revoked or replaced with a different decision. There will be no further right of appeal. The date that any dismissal takes effect will not be delayed pending the outcome of an appeal. However, if the appeal is successful, the decision to dismiss will be revoked with no loss of continuity or pay. May 2017 Page 6 of 6 Issue 2