Guidance for employers
Element 1: Recording sickness absence

Checkpoint

Are you able to identify which of your employees are off sick and why ?

Key issues

• Knowing who among your employees is off sick and why will help you to:
  • Identify patterns and high level causes of short/long-term sickness absence;
  • Identify work-related/other causes;
  • Plan cover for your absent employees;
  • Benchmark your organisation’s performance.

Communication point

Recording sickness absence daily and summing it up on a weekly basis will help keep the information accurate and prompt you to make contact with absent employees at suitable intervals.

Extra Information

• HSE is developing a simple tool for recording,monitoring and measuring sickness absence
• Sickness recording classifications
• See the Guidance on Legal Issues for Data protection responsibilities

Next: Element 2: Keeping in Contact