Sickness absence is too high and there is a lack of appropriate support and advice. The cost in financial terms as well as personal suffering is worrying and the problem needs to be addressed.

Sickness absence can be a significant burden with lost productivity, overtime costs, agency costs and delays to deadlines. The most common problems organisations have are:

• Managers not having professional help and advice available when dealing with individual and workplace health issues.
• Individuals needing help and advice during their recovery period and when they return to work.
• Health problems can be difficult and complex to understand and even more difficult to manage.
• Knowing what is the best way of getting an individual back to work.
• How do you effectively manage sickness absence so as to identify early the not so genuine employee?

To make sure you have the right policies, the right procedure and the right people doing the right thing.

Professional help and advice to support line managers and personnel managers to deal with the health, safety and injury problems that employees present. Organisations need:

• Policies and procedures that are clear and effective so that line managers and employees know what to do and when.
• A consistent approach to sickness absence management.
• The ability to identify those that are absent and not necessarily sick.
• Protocols to ensure genuine employees are given the necessary support, sympathy, understanding and compassion.

Workplace Health Solutions can help by providing realistic training, advice on effective monitoring systems and methods of managing sickness. This solution provides benefits for the individual and organisation.