Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Managing sickness absence
HSE commissioned the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) to develop a simple tool for employers, especially aimed at SMEs, to collect, record and measure sickness absence data. The IOM have completed the project and produced for us a prototype sickness absence recording tool (SART). It is currently undergoing piloting as part of a major evaulation exercise, run by Glasgow University’s Healthy Working Lives Research Group, that is looking at the effectiveness of sickness absence management in SMEs. The researchers have completed the recruitment phase of the project and are gathering data relating to the software use. A report is expected at the end of 2007.
HSE has decided to make the current evaluation version of the SART prototype freely available to interested stakeholders not involved with the SAM Project. If you would like a copy, please begin by clicking on Download SART prototype. It is important that you then read the disclaimer information before deciding whether to proceed to the download page. Whilst SART has proved reliable when used by SMEs, no user support for the tool can be provided by either the IOM or HSE. More background information on the tool can be found by clicking on Introduction to the SART application.
The CIPD, working with HSE and Acas, have launched a free online toolkit to help managers with absence management. It is aimed principally at line managers working in small and medium sized enterprises, but will also be of interest to those working in larger organisations. The toolkit provides line managers with information on useful policies and procedures to help them manage sickness absence more effectively.
The Comprehensive Spending Review 2004 outlined the Government’s intention to better manage sickness absence in the public sector. This will release resources to meet priorities and release employees with good attendance records from the pressures of covering those who are absent. A Ministerial Taskforce on Health, Safety and Productivity is taking this agenda forward and invited HSE, in a project with the Work Foundation, to produce guidelines for the public sector on ‘The Well Managed Organisation’. These guidelines promote board level leadership on managing attendance, health and well being in the workplace and provide diagnostic tools for practitioners.
