Monday blues and employee sickness absence
Blue Monday is said to be the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday usually falls on the third Monday of January and this year it is today, Monday 21 January 2025.
The phrase ‘Blue Monday’ is thought to have originated as a PR stunt created by a travel company to sell holidays. Whilst there are no scientific studies to back up claims about Blue Monday, staff absence statistics suggest that staff take more sick leave in January than any other month of the year. Whilst Blue Monday may be a marketing gimmick, staff absence is not something to be joked about.
Sickness absence can cause huge disruption to a business including reduced productivity, increased costs, low morale amongst other staff and increased customer complaints. It can also have a negative impact on an employer’s bottom line. The best way to address sickness absence is active management. It is best practice for employers to have a well drafted sickness absence management policy in place to help them do this.
If an employee is absent due to sickness, they should be required to report this to their employer on the first day of absence and a record kept. When the employee returns to work, the employer should hold a return-to-work meeting with the employee to confirm the reason for their absence and to consider whether any further support or adjustments are required. Support for employees with health conditions should be proactively offered, medical advice sought where appropriate and if the employee has a disability, reasonable adjustment made.
Short term persistent absence (where there is no disability) should be monitored and dealt with proactively. An employer should consider including trigger points in its policy to tackle this issue.
Long term absence is where an absence lasts for longer than 30 days. Dismissals on the ground of capability (ill health) should be made as a last resort. It is important therefore that a fair process is followed, relevant medical evidence is obtained to determine if the employee is likely to return to return to work in the foreseeable future, the process is not rushed and where appropriate, reasonable adjustments are made.
As it’s a new year and a new start for us all, it is important to check that your employment policies are robust and compliant with current employment law and practice. There were also several significant employment law changes in 2024 and there are more to come this year! If you have any questions regarding absence management; would like your employment policies reviewed; or require information in relation to recent or forthcoming employment law changes, please contact a member of the team.
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