News: Performance Management
Line managers 'must receive training in dealing with absence'
08 January 2009
Training must be provided to prepare line managers to deal with absences in their teams, an expert asserts.
Gill Trevelyan, the head of good practice services for the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, claims this is an essential skill whether the sickness is genuine or feigned.
She says a meeting following leave of this type can help improve an employee's performance, as it will show they have been missed.
"Investigate and take action where you have evidence that sickness absence is not genuine. Ensure line managers are trained to handle these conversations," Ms Trevelyan advises.
Companies' sickness policies are another area which must be well managed, she says, as establishing an efficient cover plan can allow situations where a high proportion of the workforce is absent to be dealt with effectively.
Recent statistics produced by FirstCare show the UK's absence rate over the last week has been at a record high, with 21.5 per cent of the working population away from their jobs.
