Sickness absence

Many of us will, on occasion, need days off work because of illness. We are required by the University to record and monitor sickness absences, to ensure that standards are maintained and employees are treated fairly and consistently when absent.

What to do when you fall ill

Please notify your line manager on the first morning of sickness absence. Your manager will register your sickness on TeamSeer.  Information is confidential and administered in accordance with the requirements of the GDPR and related UK data protection legislation and the University’s policy on Data Protection and, will not be circulated to other members of staff.  Please keep the department regularly informed about how you are so that we can ensure you are properly supported, and keep us updated about coming back to work so that we can ensure your work is properly covered.

During periods of short-term sick leave, not requiring a doctor's certificate, we would ask that you stay in regular contact with your manager so they can plan the most appropriate cover for your absence. 

Fit Notes

If you are off work for more than 7 calendar days, you'll need to get a ‘Fit Note’ from day 8 onwards. You should continue to send in Fit Notes (to the HR team or your line manager) until you are fit to return to work, which could be on reduced duties or a phased return. Please keep us regularly informed of progress.

Please note that when sickness spans a weekend, and/or for part-time staff days you would not normally work, these days are included as continuous sickness should a ‘Fit note’ be required, and without such notification without good reason, sick pay (including payment under the University’s scheme) may be withheld.

Coming back to work

A ‘return to work’ meeting will be held with your line manager to make sure that you have everything you need upon your return. Teamseer will generate a sickness absence record form for completion, which will be sent to you via email on your first day of absence and should be completed on the first day of your return to work. For absences of four to seven calendar days, this electronic form will also act as the required self-certification form. This document is confidential and will be treated as such. 

Ongoing illness/absence

If sickness absence becomes more frequent or long-term, we may wish to take advice from the University's Occupational Health Service on how best to support you. Longer-term absences will be managed in line with central guidance, and we will work with you to explore whether any reasonable adjustments are possible. In some very rare cases, we may need to explore the possibility of ill-health retirement. 

Medical appointments

Wherever possible, appointments should be arranged outside of working hours and booked vie TeamSeer. However, the department appreciates this is not always possible, particularly for full-time staff. Please try and arrange appointments in such a way as to disrupt the work of the department as little as possible, for example by arranging early morning or late afternoon appointments. Part-time staff, in particular, should make efforts to arrange appointments out of office hours or on non-working days whenever possible. When travel times to/from appointments are significant and would disrupt the working day, staff may be asked to make the time up later or take the time as annual leave. Situations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Except for emergencies, the department expects a minimum of three days' notice of all medical appointments. 

Sick Pay

Full details on the University's sick pay guidance can be found here.