For many of our clients sickness absence feels like a minefield, let alone adding the factor that they are typically SMEs so they can really feel any downtime, plus the new Employment Rights Bill introducing Day-one rights for sick pay from April 2026 to consider.
We had a situation recently where a client had an issue they couldn't see their way out of. Their employee was off sick for months and each new fit note signed them off for another month. With it being a small team the ripple effect of them being a team member down was being deeply felt and both operationally and stress being felt by team members.
They'd followed they’re policies and duty of care with the usual welfare check-ins, occupational health adjustments, employee assistance referral with no change. They considered starting the process of termination due to ill health, however refrained due to the nature of the illness.
Our Approach:
When they brought KeystoneHR into support, the first and most important thing we did was to start regular (reasonable) calls with the employee covering:
While the fourth topic might seem daunting if you’re unsure of what’s appropriate to say, careful wording ensures it is handled respectfully and can still get to the heart of the issue. We had three conversations over three weeks, and the employee decided the role wasn't right for them and resigned. No complicated, long processes, no settlement agreements. Just open, supportive conversations with an outcome that was right for all in the end.
We’re not saying these situations are easy and they certainly don't always work out this way, but sometimes simple solutions are there when we communicate in the right way.
Top tips:
- Make sure you have a policy and it matches anything in your employment contracts
- Never assume
- If you have any insurance policies in place, make sure you follow them
- Always work with the intention to keep your people that you’ve invested in.
