The curious case of the Monday morning migraine

By Sarah Buxton

Sickness absence can be difficult to manage, particularly when patterns begin to emerge. Sarah Buxton explores why clear procedures, consistent conversations and regular return-to-work meetings are essential for protecting both your practice and your team.

As employers, we all like to think we're compassionate, understanding and supportive. We genuinely care about our teams. After all, a business is nothing without its people.

But let's be honest for a moment.

We've all had that employee whose immune system seems to operate according to the social calendar.

Friday afternoon: perfectly healthy.

Monday morning: "I've got a terrible bug."

Wednesday: photographs emerge on social media featuring cocktails, sunshine and what appears to be remarkable powers of recovery.

Managing sickness absence is one of the most frustrating parts of being an employer. You want to support people when they are genuinely unwell, but you also have to run a business, serve customers, meet deadlines and stop the rest of the team from silently plotting revolt because they're constantly covering for absent colleagues.

And thanks to changes in statutory sick pay (SSP) rules, with SSP now payable from day one and more employees qualifying, absence management has never been more important.

Every employer has their stories

There are some classics.

The employee who calls in sick with laryngitis but somehow finds the strength to spend twenty minutes explaining their symptoms in extraordinary detail.

The employee with "food poisoning" who appears remarkably refreshed and tanned after a long weekend.

The employee whose sickness absence record resembles a bank holiday calendar.

And, of course, the mysterious illness that only seems to strike when the weather forecast exceeds 25 degrees.

As entertaining as these stories become over a glass of wine with fellow business owners, sickness absence costs money. It disrupts operations, places pressure on the rest of the team and can affect morale if not managed consistently.

The biggest mistake? Ignoring it

Many employers fall into one of two camps.

Camp One is the "They're probably fine" group. They say nothing, record nothing and hope the problem disappears.

It doesn't.

Camp Two is the "Every sniffle is a disciplinary matter" brigade. Nobody enjoys working for them either.

The sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle.

Good absence management is simply about having clear expectations, applying them consistently and treating people like adults.

Revolutionary, I know.

The magical return-to-work meeting

If there were an HR equivalent of a toothbrush, it would be the return-to-work meeting.

Simple. Effective. Often neglected.

A short conversation when somebody returns can be surprisingly powerful. It demonstrates that absence is noticed, gives employees an opportunity to discuss any underlying issues and, perhaps most importantly, tends to reduce the number of mysterious one-day illnesses that seem to disappear once management starts asking questions.

Interestingly, most employees aren't sitting at home plotting elaborate schemes to avoid work.

Often there is something else going on such as: Stress, Burnout, Family pressures, Health concerns, Workplace conflict!

The conversation can reveal far more than the attendance record.

Patterns matter

One absence is usually just life happening.

Twelve absences, all occurring on Mondays and Fridays, may require a little more curiosity.

Good employers look for patterns rather than isolated incidents. They don't jump to conclusions. They investigate before making assumptions. A structured approach helps employers manage absence consistently and identify recurring concerns.

The team is watching

Here's the uncomfortable truth.

How you handle sickness absence doesn't just affect the person who is absent.

It affects everyone else.

Your reliable team members notice when they are constantly covering shifts.

They notice when attendance standards are inconsistent.

And if they feel that carrying the extra workload goes unrecognised, they may start wondering why they're bothering to make the effort.

Fairness matters.

As employers, we will never completely eliminate sickness absence. Nor should we try. People get ill. Life happens.

The goal isn't to become suspicious of every cough or investigate every upset stomach as though you're starring in a detective drama. The goal is to be fair, and fairness starts with having the correct foundations in place and setting our your sickness absence procedure in a the contract of employment and sticking to it. Not diverting away from the policy or having flexibility for different team members. Consistency and fairness is the key!

Balancing compassion for employees with the needs of your practice isn't always straightforward, particularly when absence becomes a recurring issue. If you'd like support getting your sickness absence procedures, contracts or day-to-day approach right, why not contact our HR and Employment Law team to see how we can help?

Get in touch on 0330 088 2275 or email info@buxtoncoates.com.