WELCOME
MANAGING ATTENDANCE
GOVERNOR / PRINCIPAL TRAINING
MARCH 2012
Aims of the Policy
 To promote and encourage an attendance culture
 To inform staff and Boards of Governors of the
policy and procedures for managing attendance in
schools and confidentiality of information
 To ensure that all staff are treated fairly,
consistently and with sensitivity during times of
illness
 To address the negative effect on staff morale
 To raise awareness of health and welfare support
services
Effects of Absenteeism
 Staff morale
 Quality of service
 Customer service
 Temporary cover
 Overtime costs
Role of the Governors
 To adopt and promote the Managing Attendance
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policy
To monitor the implementation of the policy in
your school
To ensure that Governors receive up to date
information regarding absence management and
action taken
To ensure this area features as an item for
discussion and update during each BOG’s
meeting.
To manage the principal’s attendance
Role of the Principal
(Induction for new staff)
 Inform staff of procedures
 Monitor absence levels
 Maintain contact with employee
 Conduct absence interviews/meetings
 Provide support
 Maintain confidentiality
 Discipline – misuse of policy
Role of employee
 Follow reporting procedure
 Submit documentation promptly
 Appropriate conduct during absence
 Maintain regular contact
 Attend return to work/absence meetings
 Attend occupational health as required
 Discipline for misuse of policy
Role of human resources
 Monitor policy – consistent application
 Advise on policy
 Medical referral arrangements on request
 Provide support – Elements of Staff Welfare
Role
 Independent Counselling Service
 It is the role of the principal and/or
Governors to monitor and manage
attendance – not human resources
Reporting absence
Any employee who is sick should:
 Make personal contact (only in exceptional circumstances
should a relative or friend contact on their behalf) Text
messages and e-mail messages are not considered an
appropriate method of communication.
 State nature of illness, expected date of return, or potential
length of absence
 Maintain appropriate contact during absence with principal
and/or Governors
 Provide relevant documentation to cover absence –
Teaching CCU67 – Self Certification
Non-Teaching SC1, SC2 Self Certification, medical
certificates
Trigger points
NON-TEACHING STAFF (Support Staff) :
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More than 8 casual days
More than 3 periods of 3 days or more
Continuous absence 4 weeks or more
Individual absence rate of 5% or over
TEACHING STAFF :
 The reason for the absence is STRESS (including
work related stress)
 More than 6 casual days in 12 month rolling
period
 Continuous absence of 4 weeks or more
Action to be taken
(Informal Return to Work Meeting)
After every absence principals and/or
Governors should:
 Welcome the member of staff back
 Check that good health is restored
 Update regarding developments during the
absence
 This should be informal in nature
Action to be taken
(Informal Return to Work Meeting)
When an employee is approaching a trigger
point principals and/or Governors should:
 Meet confidentially with the employee
 Raise awareness of absence levels
 Identify any problems
 Advise that absence levels will be
monitored
 This should be informal in nature
Action to be taken
(Formal Return to Work Meeting)
When an employee exceeds a trigger point
principals/and or Governors should:
 Conduct a formal return to work meeting
 Decide what if any action is necessary eg
further monitoring, medical referral
 Adopt a fair and consistent approach
 Meeting must be confidential in nature
 Written record should be maintained
Formal Return to Work Meeting
Should be supportive – not critical
Welcome employee back and update
Discuss attendance problems
Identify support required
Determine appropriate action e.g. medical
referral, further monitoring period
 Monitor attendance for a period
 Provide written confirmation to employee
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Aims of Return to Work Meeting
 To make the employee feel welcome and
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valued
To ensure that the employee is fit to return
To create an atmosphere of trust and
support
To approach the meeting in a genuine spirit
of enquiry (exercising duty of care)
Be prepared to address the issues
Options available if no improvement
in attendance
A
B
C
D
Further meeting
Medical referral
Referral to officer responsible for Staff
Welfare eg work related stress
Disciplinary action eg high levels of
absence
Role of Occupational Health Service
 Support and guidance for individual staff in
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relation to their illness
A mechanism to address absence problems, work
related stress and identify staff with disabilities
Establish existence or otherwise of genuine
medical conditions to enable appropriate action
Facilitate ill health retirement
Act as a deterrent where illness is not genuine
Summary
 Return to work meetings, both formal and
informal, are the single most effective tool
for reducing absence
 Principals and/or Boards of Governors must
carry them out for every person
 The meeting is part of the support structure
of the organisation – not the disciplinary
structure
What Human Resources can offer
 Group training sessions on policy and procedures
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for principals/managers/Governors on annual basis
On site training for staff/principals provided on
request
Specific training for conducting Return to Work
Meetings
One-to-one advice & support for principals and/or
Governors re specific cases
Arranging medical referrals on request
Providing draft documentation to assist principals
Contact Us
 Bernadette Doherty
Managing attendance and medical referrals
e-mail: bernadette.doherty@belb.co.uk
Tel. 9056 4361