Sickness absence and attendance

GP fit note changes

In December 2021 the government made temporary changes to the sickness self-certification scheme which meant that employees could self-certify for 28 days before having to provide a GP fit note.

These changes were introduced to relieve workload pressures from GPs at the time that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was spreading quickly. These temporary changes expired on 26 January 2022, hence any new sickness episodes from 27 January 2022 will now require a fit note after the first 7 days of sickness as per normal requirements.

The Trust is committed to supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff to ensure the require attendance is met to provide a high-quality service.

Regular and reliable attendance at work is fundamental to the employment contract. However, the Trust recognises that there may be times when staff are unable to attend work due to sickness.

Knowledge of sickness absence notification and reporting procedures is important as well as identifying when an absence is unauthorised. All sickness absence will be managed sympathetically and sensitively. Although every case will need to be handled according to the individual circumstances.

This section aims to provide advice and guidance to both staff and managers in relation to the informal and formal procedures that should be followed for managing sickness absence.

It is advised that both staff and managers familiarise themselves with the procedure for managing sickness absence and attendance at work.

Further information

Long-term sickness meeting guideGuidelines for managers on conducting a short-term sickness absence meeting.Managing short-term sickness absenceGuidance for managers on how to manage short-term sickness absences.Reasonable adjustment examplesExamples of possible reasonable adjustment for staff.Return to work interviewGuidance for managers conducting a return to work interview.Short-term sickness meeting guideGuidelines for managers on conducting a short-term sickness absence meeting.Sickness absence and attendance formsTemplates for sickness absence and attendance forms.Sickness absence and attendance letter templatesTemplates for sickness absence and attendance letters.Stage three hearing preparationGuidance for managers who are preparing for a stage three hearing.Disability leaveDisability leave is a period of absence relating to an employee’s disability.Managing stressGuidance on prevention and management of stress at work.

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Sickness absence and attendance procedure

Management of short term sickness absence flowchart (0.10 MB)