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Original poster

How many sick days are 'acceptable' in your organisation?

19 replies

whereonearth · 11/09/2023 09:03

Outside of sick leave, how many sick days are acceptable in your organisation before HR is involved?

It's been years since I've worked in a larger company or organisation but from memory; if it was more than 2 days in a row you'd have a conversation with your line manager at least to fill out a return to work form (I think?) and to have a conversation about whether any further support was needed.

I currently work in a very small, very disorganised family business without official HR, where one member of staff is now on an average of 2.75 sick days per month.

Genuinely wondering, what would happen in your place of work in this situation?

OP posts:
Newusernameaug · 11/09/2023 09:06

This has come up today in our business - 2 lates in 4 weeks - disciplinary.
Any sickness a return to work interview is carried out.
We use the Bradford factor score, anyone over 100 gets performance managed.

Littlegoth · 11/09/2023 09:07

Return to work meeting after every absence, HR flag after 3 absences in 12 months. That doesn’t necessarily mean HR will act on it, there are other factors such as known medical conditions, staff undergoing medical investigations. But if the flag was someone called in with cold or flu regularly, or we had 3 one day absences, or 3 on a Monday or Friday that might prompt me to look a bit more closely.

cruffinsmuffin · 11/09/2023 09:07

Anything over two days has a RTW form required, anything that's consistent (e.g 3 periods in one year) gets flagged for HR to look at. Sickness gets tagged by reason + resolution, if all three things are different + easily explained nothing happens, if they're all the exact same reason or a bit suspect then occupational health normally gets involved on the employees side to make sure everything is okay (e.g sickness is being used to cover for other issues). If OC find no problems and can't offer any help it can be raised by HR and the managers to be escalated and then performance managed.

Speedweed · 11/09/2023 09:09

14 days officially, but if you hit 7 HR want a chat, even if you have doctor's certs etc.

NoPuddingForYou · 11/09/2023 09:10

If someone has a condition that means that they require quite a few days off then that’d be managed on an individual basis with them. To make sure that they were supported and that their job was adequately covered.

If someone was otherwise healthy though then the expectation is generally less than one day off sick per year. If someone was taking several off I’d want to understand what the issue was.

MidnightOnceMore · 11/09/2023 09:10

It would depend. Thing is you don't know this person's back story, unless you're their line manager it's basically none of your business.

So in my organisation that could be a disciplinary or it could be completely accepted, as it is entirely dependent on the individual circs.

Starlightstarbright2 · 11/09/2023 09:14

I previously nhs has about 6 months off sick but was told my sickness record was good due to it been one incident .

I now work for a national company - rtw after each incident .. I think I have had 2 in the last year but people have definitely had more never known it escalated.

AlltheFs · 11/09/2023 09:18

Return to work for every absence, attendance management meeting after 10 working days or more than 3 instances in a rolling 12 months.
Frequent short term absences are the ones cracked down on. If you have 10 days for an operation for example that’s ok. But 10 single days wouldn’t.

Ylvamoon · 11/09/2023 09:18

@whereonearth that's a lot of sick days.

But all that would depend on a) if the person has an underlying health issue
b) if it was certified by a doctor
c) the nature of the job

Overall, you are allowed to self certify for up to 5 days and do not have to disclose or discuss any health issues with your employer. Unless, of course it impacts your ability to do your role beyond the sickness days or there is a disability where reasonable adjustments need to be made.

Original poster
whereonearth · 11/09/2023 09:22

Thanks all. This sounds familiar, it's been a few years since I worked in an organisation that wasn't utter chaos.

For the record; I am not being nosy or a busybody - this isn't someone I manage, but it is a family member with similar level of responsibility to mine. They do not have chronic health problems or a disability, but just take a lot of sick days for reasons like throat aches, colds, rashes, dizziness, etc. So no, @Ylvamoon - no underlying health issues that are certified by a doctor. Not a physical job either.

It is really not giving a great impression to our other staff since this person is essentially one of their bosses.

Obviously there's a larger issue here, which is that we need some form of HR. Which I have been lobbying for, trust me...

OP posts:
NoPuddingForYou · 11/09/2023 09:29

whereonearth · 11/09/2023 09:22

Thanks all. This sounds familiar, it's been a few years since I worked in an organisation that wasn't utter chaos.

For the record; I am not being nosy or a busybody - this isn't someone I manage, but it is a family member with similar level of responsibility to mine. They do not have chronic health problems or a disability, but just take a lot of sick days for reasons like throat aches, colds, rashes, dizziness, etc. So no, @Ylvamoon - no underlying health issues that are certified by a doctor. Not a physical job either.

It is really not giving a great impression to our other staff since this person is essentially one of their bosses.

Obviously there's a larger issue here, which is that we need some form of HR. Which I have been lobbying for, trust me...

I think the average in my “otherwise well” staff is one day every two years. It probably helps that they are relatively young.

ginderella85 · 11/09/2023 09:39

I hardly ever have time off as always feel bad and end up worse lol but my DH has autoimmune disease so he has a lot of time off due to taking his medication then coming down with something a few days later which means he can not take said medication as he's poorly making everything worse! It's become an absolute nightmare. Therefore, he left his permanent job and now does agency, which doesn't impact the employer as bad as its day to day as and when on both parts!

longtompot · 11/09/2023 09:41

My ds has just started working for a company and they have 3 days sick leave allowed, I assume per year.

roseopose · 11/09/2023 09:42

I work in the public sector and ANY sick day,even one, has to have a return to work interview. It's ridiculous and a waste of everyone's time. I have had one sick day and my manager suggested next time I'm ill I might like to use my annual leave as I don't want to end up with too many sick days on my record..so I guess in my organisation, one day a year is acceptable!

Littlegoth · 11/09/2023 09:47

Would have edited my post but don’t have the option at the moment - my organisation is public sector. In contrast, DP works in digital services in a private sector organisation and they have unlimited sick days from day 1. No escalation. People don’t take the piss, either.

Abigail47 · 09/08/2024 17:42

NoPuddingForYou · 11/09/2023 09:10

If someone has a condition that means that they require quite a few days off then that’d be managed on an individual basis with them. To make sure that they were supported and that their job was adequately covered.

If someone was otherwise healthy though then the expectation is generally less than one day off sick per year. If someone was taking several off I’d want to understand what the issue was.

This is an old thread. But I was doing a search on sick leave

Youre only allowed one sick day in a whole year?

Wow

bluetongue · 09/08/2024 20:48

NoPuddingForYou · 11/09/2023 09:10

If someone has a condition that means that they require quite a few days off then that’d be managed on an individual basis with them. To make sure that they were supported and that their job was adequately covered.

If someone was otherwise healthy though then the expectation is generally less than one day off sick per year. If someone was taking several off I’d want to understand what the issue was.

Less than one day a year seems incredibly restrictive. People aren’t machines!

I get migraines and despite having medication for that need to take a day off for them or leave early a couple of times a year. I also have chronic depression and despite toughing it out most of the time have the occasional day where I can’t stop crying and working is out of the question. Apart from that I’m extremely reliable and have one of the better sick records at my office.

bluetongue · 09/08/2024 20:51

Whoops. Ghost thread!

Geogaddi · 12/08/2024 11:35

LOL i get 3 days off per YEAR!

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