Sickness & absence

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This subtopic provides guidance on dealing with sickness and attendance matters in your firm, focusing on the following key areas:

  1. •

    absence management

  2. •

    return to work interviews (RTWIs)

  3. •

    attendance review meetings (ARMs)

  4. •

    medical reports

Absence management

High rates of absence have a detrimental impact on the business of a firm and its workforce as a whole so these need to be closely managed. See Precedents:

  1. •

    Policy and procedure—sickness and attendance

  2. •

    Policy and procedure—stress

  3. •

    Absence request form—law firms

Absence management strategy

An absence management strategy is a systematic approach to the management of absence through the implementation of specific initiatives and interventions to reduce absence and the negative impact it has on the business of the firm.

The benefits of an absence management strategy include:

  1. •

    reduced costs associated with absence, including contractual sickness payments, statutory sickness payments and in some cases the cost of temporary replacement of the worker

  2. •

    improved service delivery and client care standards

  3. •

    reduced disruption to the firm

  4. •

    improved productivity

  5. •

    improved morale and engagement in the workforce as a whole

  6. •

    reduction in

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