3. Occupational health
Development managers are responsible for managing sickness absence (including recording and monitoring sickness absence levels).
In circumstances where it is the Activity Manager who has day-to-day contact with the employee, the onus is on them to keep the Development Manager up-to-date with any sickness absence.
If it becomes clear that an employee’s absence will be long term, the Development Manager should contact HR, who will support the Development Manager in referring the employee to Health Management, ACME’s occupational health advisor.
A health adviser will contact the employee to arrange a health assessment. The occupational doctor will then complete a report which assesses the effects of the employee’s condition, the likely duration of the illness or condition and whether there are any steps that either the Development or Activity Manager could take to facilitate the employee’s return to work.
The occupational doctor will need to obtain the employee’s consent before any report is passed to the Development Manager or HR. They are also required by law to be satisfied that the employee is fully informed of the purposes and likely results of disclosing the report to the organisation, and should offer to show the employee the report before passing it to the organisation.
Similarly, obtaining a medical report may be appropriate if an employee has a high level of short-term sickness absence. A medical report could ascertain whether or not there is an underlying cause, and if there is, for how long the absences are likely to persist, and whether or not there are any steps that the Development Manager or employee could take to reduce the amount of absence.
On receipt of the assessment, HR will support the development manager in identifying what further actions or adjustments should be made to help the employee return to work.
