ECIA Training Seminars

“Managing Sickness Absence”

Sickness absence costs UK employers a significant amount of money each year. In 2007, 172 million working days were lost in the UK as a result of sickness absence. In addition to bearing the costs of sick pay, employers also face disruption to their operations as a result of their employees' absence and the need to secure alternative labour at very short notice.

This course aims to help employers to make a real difference when addressing sickness absence issues within their own organisations, by enabling them to:

understand how to measure and monitor current sickness absence levels;

be able to deal effectively with an individual's frequent short-term absence and to be able to run an efficient "capability" process up to dismissal, whilst remaining within the law; and

be able to deal firmly, but empathetically, with long term ill-health absence including lawfully seeking medical opinions on an individual's health and prospects for a return to work and, where necessary, moving towards termination of employment on the grounds of ill-health incapability.

This course will equip employers with the tools to operate confidently in the above situations.

In addition, the course will provide information about the new "Fit Notes" and explain employer's obligations under the new arrangements.

The course

This course, which will be run in all ECIA Regions, aims to guide employers by offering both information and practical advice.

This knowledge will steer employers away from some of the pitfalls, and help them to improve their sickness absence management practices and thereby reduce the potential for Employment Tribunal claims to arise.

The course is aimed at Site Managers, Project Managers and other front line staff with responsibility for the managing sickness absence matters, as well as, those in IR/HR functions needing to consider strategies for measuring, monitoring and reducing absence levels within their organisations.

The course will strive to create an environment where delegates feel comfortable to raise questions and consider how they might handle sickness absence related matters from their previous experiences, in the light of the information imparted on the seminar.

Places are limited (maximum of two places per member) and will be allocated on a first come first served basis (payment received). Courses will commence at 10.00am, and will finish mid afternoon (lunch included).

You can download the registration form below.