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Within any team, a degree of absence is inevitable from time to time. In the majority of cases, this needn’t be cause for alarm. Regardless of the nature of the absence, however, there are a number of best practice principles that can help you manage the situation effectively. Here we outline these principles and the practical steps you can take to follow them.
Make Absence Procedures Clear
Make sure your team members are aware of the procedure for notifying you of their absence. This could include the time by which employees must contact you to inform you of their absence, and the forms of communication that are acceptable for doing this (e.g. a phone call, rather than an email or text). Even if this information is made clear in your employee handbook, it is a good idea to remind your team of this from time to time.
Establish Guidelines for Communication
If a team member contacts you to advise that they will be absent, set out your expectations for how frequently they should update you on their situation. For short-term absences, employees should contact you at the beginning of every subsequent day that they are absent. If employees are signed off work for a certain number of days, however, they should contact you when their sign-off period expires.
Address Resourcing Issues
If a team member is absent unexpectedly, consider what options are available to you at short notice for handling the absent team member’s workload. If drafting in additional resource is not possible, and the outstanding work is very urgent or of high importance, consider pitching in and helping your team to complete it. However, if this is not feasible, your remaining team members may need to work harder than usual to meet business needs in their colleague’s absence. If this does happen, make sure you thank them for their efforts.
Prepare for Authorized Absence
When you authorize a leave request (e.g. for annual leave or a sabbatical), first make sure that anyone else who might need to know about the absence (e.g. your receptionist or office manager) is informed. It is also important to consider how you can ensure your team is not disrupted or inconvenienced by their colleague’s absence. Perhaps you could draft in support from another team, or take on a temporary member of staff to manage the absent team member’s work.
Be Clear About Pay
Your organization’s policy on paying team members during periods of absence should be documented in your company handbook. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with this information so you can advise your team members accordingly, and answer any questions they might have. If you are unsure of any of the details relating to paying staff during periods of absence, it is a good idea to consult a member of your HR team before advising employees of what they can expect.
Conduct a Return to Work Interview
When an employee returns to work following a period of absence, it is good practice to conduct a return to work interview. Unless absence becomes a problem, the interview is usually an informal chat to discuss the reasons behind the absence and to facilitate the team member's return to work. The interview does not form part of an organization's disciplinary procedures. Further information and advice on conducting return to work interviews can be found in Related Links.
Track and report absence when required
Ensure the returning employee completes any paperwork required for monitoring and measuring absence in your organization. As a manager or leader, you may also be required to submit data on absence levels in your team.
Seek Advice And Support
If you become concerned in any way about absence levels in your team, consult a member of your HR department (if you have one) who will be able to advise you of the correct steps forward. Situations where you may need to liaise with your HR department include instances of frequent, long-term, suspicious or unauthorized absence. Further information on the legal aspects of managing absence in the UK can be found on the ACAS website.
