New attendance policy for staff

Published: 17 January 2017

A new 'Managing Attendance' policy will come into effect in February.

The University places people at the heart of its strategy and is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff. It’s understood that occasional ill-health is inevitable, and if this causes someone to miss work it affects not only the person and their team, but also the overall performance of the University. It’s important, therefore, that absence is managed effectively and that clear and supportive procedures are in place.

As part of a wider approach to promoting a positive health and wellbeing culture, a new Managing Attendance policy will be launched on 14 February. The new policy has been developed in consultation with the campus Trades Unions and will provide a consistent framework promoting open communication and dialogue, to help managers identify possible work-related health issues early so they can provide timely support to their staff.

Review Points

The main change from the previous policy is the introduction of Review Points identifying when a manager should investigate someone’s absence levels. The Review Points are:

  • 3 occasions of absence within the last 3 months
  • 5 occasions of absence within the last 12 months
  • 12 or more days sickness absence, accrued over more than 1 period of absence, within the last 12 months (pro-rated for part-time staff)
  • Any other recurring, recognisable pattern, e.g. frequent absenteeism on a Monday

If a review point is met, the manager will normally follow the new Attendance Improvement Process.

The new policy also aims to address concerns raised in the 2016 Staff Survey by introducing clearer support and guidance around absences related to stress at work and clearer signposting to the University’s Employee Assistance Program, including counselling.

Policy changeover

From 14 February 2017, all new absence cases will be managed under the new Managing Attendance Policy.

Any live absence cases being managed under the existing Capability Procedures will continue to be managed this way until their conclusion.

More information

First published: 17 January 2017

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