Sick and tired? What to know about calling in sick

Sick leave can be one of those things managers dread. Who’s going to handle that work? What do I tell the client waiting on an update? How will we cope with this busy shift?

Sick leave may cause panic, but it’s inevitable–we all get poorly now and again. In 2024, the Labour Force Survey estimated that 148.9 million working days were lost in the UK due to illness or injury. This works out at an average of 4.4 days for every UK worker.

It’s essential that HR teams play a part in supporting employees and helping everyone take care of themselves. It’s also vital to understand what you can and can’t ask your employees when they are calling in sick. Failing to support employee wellbeing or mishandling sick leave requests may expose companies to potential legal claims.

Learn exactly what you can and can’t do when discussing sick leave with your employees to strengthen your approach and help your workforce thrive.

Can a manager ask why an employee is calling in sick?

For the first seven days of leave, employers in the UK have no right to question an employee or request medical evidence for calling in sick. Depending on the sick leave policy of the company, employees are entitled to some form of sick pay—this could be statutory sick pay or a company benefit.

UK law states that employees can self-certify for up to seven days—that is, inform their manager they are ill without needing evidence from a doctor. If they are off for more than seven days, they will then need a fit note from their GP or other certified medical professional (previously known as a sick note).

Managing staff absence is a team effort, and it requires having processes in place that are practical, efficient, and fair. Someone calling in sick can be a tricky situation to handle if there are deadlines to meet or deliverables to get ready, but team sickness is just something that happens.

Create a clear policy for employees calling in sick

It’s important that employees understand what to do when calling in sick, and a strong sick leave policy helps with this. Make sure every member of your team understands who to inform and how long they can go without a fit note. Here are some suggestions of what to include in your policy:

• Request that employees communicate early: Set a clear time for when your team needs to notify their manager that they’re calling in sick. This is so you can resolve any impact their absence will have on their workplace duties. For example, you may ask that employees notify their manager no later than two hours before their shift or by 8.30am if your business works typical 9-to-5 hours.
• Don’t ask for detail: Encourage your team members to notify their manager of their sickness but don’t request that they offer up an explanation.
• Ask team members to set an out-of-office email: Encourage anyone calling in sick to put their out of office on so others in the business are aware they’re offline.
• Managers should notify those who need to know: Ask managers to send an email to other employees who work closely with the team member calling in sick, so they can adjust plans and expectations as needed.
• Log the sick day as needed: Make sure the sick leave is logged in your HR software as needed so payroll and time logs are accurate.

What should HR do to support sick employees?

Navigating deliverables and deadlines when an employee calls in sick can be challenging, but don’t worry. There are a few simple things to consider to best handle and reduce employee absence:

Check in regularly

Communication is key. Checking in with employees can help them feel supported. Not only that, but it could help you plan workloads if you get a sense of improvement. Just try not to be overbearing when they should be resting.

Address matters swiftly

Sometimes, that absence message from an employee can fill you with dread. Who’s going to lead the project? What about that upcoming deadline? Don’t put it off. Try to resolve things as soon as possible, rather than at the end of a workday.

Improve scheduling

By having a good scheduling method in place, you can eliminate a lot of busywork when it comes to reporting and handling sick days. For example, a central hub and absence management system or an email process can inform people quickly and help you start planning.

Investigate misuse of sick days

If you suspect someone is abusing their sick days, you may need to investigate. Be careful, as you don’t want anyone to feel incriminated for taking the days they need. If a sick day happens immediately before a bank holiday, or on the same week or day every year, there could be something happening.

Likewise, if you see evidence on channels outside of work during working hours, this could be problematic. Don’t look for issues if they’re not there, but don’t ignore them if you have your suspicions.

Protect your team and organisation

Sickness can take a toll on the team and the business. If an employee ‌falls ill in the office, you may want to send them home. Additionally, if someone is sick and their workload passes onto the team, you’ll need to carefully consider how not to overload everyone.

Help your employee

You want your employees to feel better, welcomed, and supported. Try not to make them feel guilty for calling in sick when they need to. Instead, do what you can to support them and focus on preparing for their return to work.

Expect at least some sickness

If you don’t plan for sickness, you’re immediately at a disadvantage. Removing the stigma can be an overall benefit to the business—it’s okay for sickness to happen, and it will. Do your best to plan for it, rather than block it.

Follow relevant policies

It’s important to follow your company’s sickness policy. Not only can it guide you in doing things correctly, but it also ensures everyone gets fair treatment. Policies should also allow for some flexibility and level of interpretation, as everyone’s circumstances are different.

Retain records

Try to keep an attendance history, just in case of potential disputes. They may come in useful, at least to provide clarity and consistency.

Keep things moving when your team are calling in sick

In the end, it’s all about working together. A strong process ensures the person calling in sick feels supported, the manager handling the team members knows what to do and nothing becomes bottlenecked on the business side of things. Make sure everyone is aligned and aware of your sick leave policy and you’ll have things in hand the next time someone falls ill.