Commitment to students and stakeholders and in order to provide the service a commitment to health and well-being of staff

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1 1. Who?- Statement of Intent? Purpose Commitment to students and stakeholders and in order to provide the service a commitment to health and well-being of staff Outlines the roles and responsibilities of line managers and employees of the University of Bolton Guidance for the effective management of sickness absence Inform how the University will support employees during periods of sickness absence and other health related matters. 2. Reporting sickness absence notification Notification of sickness absence should be made as soon as possible on the first day of absence, and where possible, by the employee, who should speak to their line manager within one hour of their usual start time or the start of their shift on that day. The member of staff should provide appropriate detail about their absence including the nature of the sickness and the likely duration of the absence. If an employee is unable to return on the expected date, they should keep their line manager informed and provide regular updates on their recovery. 3. Certification of Absence Employees are required to provide medical certification to the Personnel Service for all periods of sickness absence of over 0.5 days. For absences of 0.5 to 7 days, employees should complete the Self Certification of Sickness Absence. Available from: ZDownloadableForms/Home.aspx#s. Alternatively an Employees Statement of Fitness (SC2) can be completed. The SC2 can be obtained from the GP Surgery, Hospital Outpatients departments or from the HMRC. Absences of 8 days and above employees should obtain a Statement of Fitness for Work (Med 3), sometimes referred to as a Fit Note, from their GP. If the sickness absence continues beyond the initial period specified, the employee must provide further Fit Notes to cover their absence until they return to work. Where possible, this documentation should be submitted before the expiry date of the previous note. Where an employee has submitted an open-ended Med 3 or hospital certificate, they must obtain a final Med 3 or hospital certificate which states that they are fit to return to work.

2 Where the employees GP has recommended certain adjustments on the Med 3, these will be considered within operational constraints and demands and the individual will sometimes be referred to The Occupational Safety and Health Unit (OSHU) for their opinion. Where adjustments cannot be made, the employee will remain absent from work to the end date specified by the Med 3. Employees should endeavour to sign and date all medical documentation before submission to the Personnel Service. 4. Recording of Absence Each School/Service within the University has a designated individual who records any absences for the School/Service. This information is provided to the Personnel Service on a weekly and monthly basis. All absences should be reported to the designated individual in terms of both start and end dates. Certain reported illness should be reported immediately to the Dean of School, Head of Service or to the Personnel Service Manager e.g. Tuberculosis, Swine Flu. 5. Return to Work Return to work interviews should be carried out by line managers for all occasions of sickness absence. The discussions will establish: The reason for, and cause of absence Anything the line manager or University can do to help That the employee is fit to return to work If an employee has a (Med 3 Fit Note) that states that they may be fit for work taking into account the GP s recommendations, the line manger and employee should consider and agree how these recommendations can be accommodated. All discussions should be documented and signed copies sent to the Personnel Service. 6. Sickness during Periods of Annual Leave Christmas and Bank Holidays Any employee with a period of sickness absence that commences during the periods of 1 to 31 December will not be eligible to reclaim the three days annual leave of the Christmas and New Year closure period. An employee whose sickness absence commences from 1 December and includes the three days closure of Christmas and New Year will not have their absence recorded or entitlement to Occupational Sick Pay (OSP) reduced for these three days. Employees on long-term sickness absence i.e. commencing before the 1 December and continuing over the Christmas and New Year closure period, will be eligible to reclaim the three days annual leave, but will have their sickness absence recorded and entitlement under the rules of the OSP scheme reduced.

3 Employees on long-term sickness absence may be expected to use the reclaimed annual leave as part of any agreed phased return adjustment recommended by their GP or the OSHU. Employees absent due to sickness on any/all statutory Bank Holidays are not entitled to reclaim these days and statutory Bank Holidays are not included when calculating and employees entitlement to pay under the rules of the OSP scheme. Accrual of Holidays during Periods of Sickness Absence Employees will continue to accrue annual leave whilst on periods of sickness absence. Any employees on long-term sickness absence may be expected to use accrued annual leave as part of any agreed phased return adjustment recommended by their GP or the OSHU. Employees who are Ill Whilst on Annual Leave Employees who fall sick during annual leave are entitled to reclaim the annual leave. Medical certification will be required as evidence of their illness whilst on holiday and that it would have rendered them unfit to attend work had they not been on annual leave. 7. Sickness Absence Payments Occupational Sick Pay (OSP) Scheme Allowances for Pay Manual Staff During 1 st year of service During 2 nd year of service During 3 rd year of service During 4 th and 5 th year of service After 5 years service 1 month s full pay (and after completing 4 month s service) 2 month s half pay 2 month s full pay and 2 month s half pay 4 month s full pay and 4 month s half pay 5 month s full pay and 5 month s half pay 6 month s full pay and 6 month s half pay One month is equivalent to 26 days (Saturday included as a working day). The period during which the allowance is paid in respect of any period of absence is ascertained by deducting from the employees entitlement and period(s) of absence during the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of absence. Professional Support Staff During 1 st year of service During 2 nd year of service During 3 rd year of service During 4 th and 5 th year of service After 5 years service 1 month s full pay (and after completing 4 month s service) 2 month s half pay 2 month s full pay and 2 month s half pay 4 month s full pay and 4 month s half pay 5 month s full pay and 5 month s half pay 6 month s full pay and 6 month s half pay One month is equivalent to 26 days (Saturday included as a working day).

4 The period during which the allowance is paid in respect of any period of absence is ascertained by deducting from the employees entitlement and period(s) of absence during the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of absence. Academic Staff During 1 st year of service During 2 nd year of service During 3 rd year of service During 4 th and successive years of service 1 month s full pay (and after completing 4 month s service) 2 month s half pay 3 month s full pay and 3 month s half pay 4 month s full pay and 4 month s half pay 6 month s full pay and 6 month s half pay One month is equivalent to 22 days (Monday to Friday). For the purpose of calculating entitlement to sick leave the year is deemed to begin on the 1 April and end on 31 March the following year. If an employee is absent due to sickness on 31 March of any year, such an employee will not begin a new entitlement to sick leave from the new year i.e. from March to April, until he/she has resumed duty following the absence as at 31 March. 8. Short-Term Sickness Absence Short term sickness absences are usually one-off absences for minor conditions such as toothache or colds, or for minor conditions that occur more regularly, for example migraine. Such absences will be monitored by Personnel Service and also by the line manager and where regular occurrences or a pattern of sickness emerges; managers should undertake an investigation to determine what course of action should be taken. Trigger points referral to Occupational Safety and Health Unit. 9. Long-Term Sickness Absence 20 days or more. Two stages to managing: Manage the absence from work and manage the return to work. 10. Occupational Safety and Health Unit (OSHU) Currently provided by Bolton MBC. Employees can be referred to the OHSU by the Personnel Service or their line manager for their opinion on any adjustments that can be considered to enable them to remain in work or return to work following a period of illness. Employees can be referred to a OSHU Nurse or Doctor for their opinion. Once the report is received, a meeting can be arranged between the line manager, the employee and a member of the Personnel Service team to discuss how the recommendations may be accommodated and put into place to assist and support the employee.

5 11. Employee Assistance Programme The University Employee Assistance Programme is provided by amian who provide support, help and information to staff that may be experiencing any work or home related difficulties. 24 hour, 7 day telephone helpline to contact specialist advisers for assistance with a wide range of problems. Employee Should an employee wish to take up the assistance on offer, it is known as a self-referral. This counselling can be for up to six sessions and will be paid for by the University. Details of any member of staff who contact the telephone helpline or meets a counsellor are not disclosed to the Personnel Service. Under these circumstances, it is important that staff continue to speak with their line manager to discuss further support that may be offered during the period. Personnel Service will provide amian contact details to anyone who has reported a Stress-related medical condition, but employees can also be referred by their line manager. Management Referral in the event of further absence line managers can refer an employee as part of the sickness absence management process. Under these circumstances the Personnel Service will receive a report providing them with recommendations on how best to support the employee during the period of absence with a view, where possible, to enable a successful return to work. Once the report is received, a meeting can be arranged between the line manager, the employee and a member of the Personnel Service team to discuss how the recommendations may be accommodated and put into place to assist and support the employee. 12. Musculoskeletal Conditions and Sports and Spinal Injury Clinic SSIC referrals to be reviewed in a meeting with Fionnuala Geoghegan, Joyce Bain and Sharon Thompson Management referral where the employee uses display screen equipment, manager should ensure that the employee has undertaken the online Display Screen Equipment (DSE) training and that a Workstation Self Assessment form has been printed. Each School/Service should have a DSE Assessor who can provide advice and guidance on this. Details of who these individuals are can be provided by the Personnel Service. Self referral - Appointments can be booked by contacting the clinic direct. Related costs are payable by the employee direct to the clinic. 13. Redeployment Due to Ill Health This is the process of securing, where possible, alternative employment for members of staff displaced as a result of capability due to ill health. Redeployment can be considered when an employee us unable to undertake the tasks and responsibilities of their substantive role due to a disability or medical

6 condition and when the University has made all possible reasonable adjustments and workplace adaptations recommended by the OSHU and the employees GP, to accommodate the employees needs. Although the employee may be medically incapable of undertaking the tasks and responsibilities of their substantive role, they may be considered for an alternative role. Employees who are displaced are expected to work with their line manager and the Personnel Service to identify possible redeployment options along with any relevant skills, abilities and development need. If no vacancy is available within a two-month period, the medical incapacity procedure is commenced. 14. Ill Health and Medical Incapacity Medical incapacity occurs when an employee has a disability or a medical condition that restricts their ability to undertake the main tasks and responsibilities of their substantive role. The employee will be notified in writing and invited where possible to a formal hearing in front of a panel. The panel consists of a manager from another School/Service, a senior member of Personnel Service and a Trade Union representative. Possible outcomes of the hearing are: Recommend that the employee be given a further opportunity to improve their attendance or performance Recommend that the employee be given a further opportunity to consider redeployment, should a suitable vacancy be available Recommend that the employee be dismissed with the appropriate period of notice due to some other substantial reason The employee will be entitled to appeal any decision reached by the panel. 15. Work Related Accident or Injury The University Health and Safety Advisor should be advised about all occasions of work related accident or injury. 16. Termination of Employment 17. Other Absence Cosmetic surgery and lifestyle elective treatments. Only treated as sickness absence where a medical practitioner has certified that the procedure is essential to the employee s health and wellbeing, otherwise an employee would be expected to use annual or unpaid leave for recovery from such procedures. 18. Other Absence

7 Absence reports from Trent to be supplied by VMG. Who to? What do the reports show.