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Sickness absence

What to do when someone calls in sick ⛑

People in your team might call in sick at some point. Here's what to do:

  • Make sure they communicate it well with the team and with you.

  • You call it in at Arbo by visiting our Arbo portal, which is important for both for Blendle and for the person.

  • If people call in sick 3+ times in a year, that is a red flag and you should have a conversation about it. HR and Arbo keep track of that and will ping you about this, but we expect you to also at least notice it if someone isn't doing really well.

  • If it's something more psychological (not the flu or migraine), make sure to flag it and check signs for a burnout. Check when in doubt:

    When is there too much stress?

Arbo information and presentation on sickness and the proces from day one can be found here:

Google Slides - create and edit presentations online, for free.

Recurring sickness 🌡

If people call in sick more than 3 times in a year, that should raise a red flag. If you're leading one or more people, Arbo will also ping you if someone is calling in sick frequently. If sickness absence is recurring, consider if there is a particular pattern or underlying issues and initiate an open conversation about it.

Do not be afraid of honest discussions, these discussions help to identify return to work barriers and underlying issues. They also help to outline the expectations of all parties involved.

The open discussions encourage your team member to voice her/his concerns and request help. From the team members point of view, these discussions help to effectively manage and monitor sickness absence, particularly in most complex cases such as recurring absences. It also helps to ensure that the sickness management process is structured, consistent, clear and fair.

The conversation

Try initiating an open conversation by scheduling a meet on the first day of return to work, or at least as soon as you can. The purpose behind this conversation is not to judge someone for being absent. But it's meant to uncover the factors behind, or the cause of the absence. There is a good chance that you or Blendle can prevent the next absence by talking about this.

Explain why you are having this conversation

  • Don't ask right away about the problems and sickness. Make clear that it's about being absent.
  • Share a list of dates and patterns relevant to being absent.
  • Talk about how the absence worries you, how it effects the team and anyone close to the team member.

How to and what questions to ask:

Google Slides - create and edit presentations online, for free.

Notes

  • Always ask open questions.
  • Know your facts, this will prevent unnecessary discussions. You can ask HR for the statics.
  • Let your team member steer you towards the right solutions, don't fill in the blanks.
  • Take notes, set goals and share them with each other afterwards.
  • Monitor the progress, have recurring conversations about the situation and the goals.
  • There is a fine barrier between being too pushy and being truly engaged and it's normal to feel that dilemma. Just use your own judgement.
  • It's not our job to be sceptical or judgmental. We want to offer help where ever we can and manage the absence effectively.
  • Ask HR for further support if needed.

Good reads:

How to manage recurring sickness absence