Sickness absence

[user9776899]

Which of these would you say looks worse for sickness level absence?

Person 1

Off Jan 2020 - March 2021

Off 1 week Jan 2021 (Covid)

Off 5 weeks June 2022

or

Person 2

Off 1 week Apr 2021

Off 2 days June 2021

Off 1 week Oct 2021

Off 3 days Jan 2022

Off 1 day Feb 2022

Off 1 week May 2022

Off 1 week July 2022 (Covid)

person 1

I presume you mean “worse” from an employer’s perspective. I think without any other information you can’t say - either of them could be because of a long term condition requiring treatment or with complications for example. Where I work both would have triggered attendance proceedings.

Both take the piss to be honest.
Both would probably trigger investigation

We need context. Person 1 could have had life threatening cancer / illness, then covid, then a second bout of cancer. If they were off for over a year with a cold, then yeah, taking the piss.

Person 1.

Why are you asking?

Depends on the reasons for all the sickness absence.

Person 1

Off Jan 2020 - March 2021 (Cancer diagnosis and treatment)

Off 1 week Jan 2021 (Covid)

Off 5 weeks June 2022 (Anxiety)

or

Person 2

Off 1 week Apr 2021 (D&V)

Off 2 days June 2021 (Migraine)

Off 1 week Oct 2021 (Flu)

Off 3 days Jan 2022 (D&V)

Off 1 day Feb 2022 (Migraine)

Off 1 week May 2022 (Stomach pains)

Off 1 week July 2022 (Covid)

Person 2 has also had cancer.

It is inappropriate to make such comparisons. The point of managing attendance should be that it is appropriate to the individual - as all health conditions are unique to each person. Whatever point you are trying to make here is not something to which there is an answer, and nor should this kind of discussion be encouraged in the workplace. If someone is sick, they are sick. End of story. If you are trying to suggest that one person is better than another because of their own sickness record compared to someone else's, then that is not a subject for discussion.

Is there a mistake? How can person 1 be off for over a year, and also one of the weeks during that time?

sorry yes

Jan 2022 (Covid)

I don't think either looks bad. Particularly now you've given the reasons.

You can't compare person 1's life changing diagnosis requiring a year off work with cancer treatment with the regular illness of someone else. Even if they have previously had cancer.

Is person 2 still immunosuppressed?

What's the issue with these people?

Person 1 has a long term condition

Person 2 has a pattern of regular absence.

Based on limited info person 2 is more on an issue

Depends entirely on details. Eg I work with someone like person 2 who has been like this for the three years she’s worked here.

my person 2 was furious she was on hr absence path when the senior manager in her team was having lots of absences in the last 12 months - previously 18 years with minimal absence but her dc was in an accident, partially brain damaged then died.

The two are not comparable.

Person 2. Lots of small scattered absences.

They don't compare. Person 1 has had cancer, person 2 has had a lot of minor illnesses. Maybe person 2 has a chronic condition meaning they're immunocompromised.

Unless you're their manager or HR it's not your concern. If you are then you shouldn't be comparing them. If you are one of these two people no one should be comparing you to the other, nor should they be sharing details or assuming you know the details of the other person's illness.

Neither. They're both ill, it's not a race to the bottom.

Person 2's attendance would concern me and would trigger attendance monitoring at my work. Person 1's absence seems reasonable considering your explanation for the long period.

Person 2 as it's lots of small absences in the nhs it would trigger more stages.

Both people have cancer? Cancer can lead to a lot of time off sick without "taking the piss" as one poster puts it. DH had cancer, he had a lot of time off. He wasn't taking the piss.

It was the drip feed of the century to be fair.
Cancer/life changing conditions = not a pisstake at all.
General illness =major pisstake

But they have both had cancer. Even if one is in remission that doesn't mean that it hasn't impacted on their health. And for whatever they are worth, the protections under the Equality Act automatically apply from day 1 to anyone with cancer - or who has previously had cancer - for a reason. Not many conditions are in this category.

People are assuming here that having cancer means that you need more time off / are more likely to have significant time off. This is not the case. Some people have very little time off. Others have a lot. There is no formula for what is right. Everyone is different.

Most employers would be more concerned about Person 2.

A well established pattern of frequent short term absences without being obviously linked to any underlying condition would usually be considered to be problematic.

Person 1 clearly had an extended absence due to cancer. As they haven't been off again with that since March 2021, I would assume that this was well managed/ they were in remission etc, so not an ongoing cause for concern. Covid - most people have probably been off with this at some point during the pandemic, so not a concern. The recent period off for anxiety... maybe a concern going forwards. Definitely one to be monitored carefully.

But person 2 has also had/has cancer, cancer affects the immune system so more frequent infections could be because of that.