An attendance policy will provide employees with a clear idea of the standards of attendance expected by the employer and will describe how the employee will be treated if they are absent. It should be clear and unambiguous and should be applied consistently to all employees.

An attendance policy should explain:

• What the employee should do if they are not able to get to work. This often states the person who should be contacted and by what time
• The paperwork required by the employer for periods of sickness. Generally no form of certification is required if an employee is absent for less than four days, a self certification form is required for absence from four to seven days and a medical certificate is required for absences greater than seven days
• The payments to which an employee will be entitled should they be absent. This should include the total amount of time an employer will continue to pay an employee for a single incidence of illness and within the financial or holiday year. In many companies this increases with length of service as a reward to loyal employees
• A procedure for taking time for medical or dental appointments. Most companies encourage their employees to make appointments outside their working hours or on days off. Part time employees are often expected to do this whenever possible. Special rules apply to pregnant women attending antenatal appointments
• How a period of absence will be managed by the employer. This can include a return to work interview after each period of absence and the regular contact an employee can expect if they were to experience a long period of absence.

Some employers who have experienced problems with employees taking frequent sick leave of one or two days have introduced novel and successful changes to terms and conditions that have overcome these problems. One such model is to increase the holiday entitlement of all employees by three days and change sick leave policy so that employees are not paid for the first two days of any sickness period.

This rewards employees with a good attendance record and improves attendance in those employees who might be too quick to take a day off when feeling unwell. Seek professional human resources advice when implementing an attendance policy or changing your current attendance policy, to ensure you stay within legal requirements and accepted good practice.