Sick Absenteeism Management — Training and Workshops

A practical workshop that equips managers with the knowledge and skills to understand the causes of absenteeism, manage attendance fairly, support employee wellbeing, and promote a healthy, productive workplace.

Outcomes:

• Understand the causes and organisational impact of sick absenteeism on productivity, employee wellbeing, service delivery, and organisational costs.
• Differentiate between legitimate illness, patterns of concern, chronic health conditions, and potential abuse of sick leave.
• Apply relevant labour legislation, organisational policies and ethical principles.
• Know when and how to escalate or refer employees for additional support.

Manager-focused training centred on how to recognise issues before they become absenteeism, burnout, grievances, or resignations. The emphasis is on making relevant observations, having supportive conversations, and referring employees appropriately, not on diagnosing medical or psychological conditions.

Outcomes:

• Recognise early signs that an employee may be experiencing wellbeing challenges.
• Differentiate between performance issues and potential wellbeing concerns.
• Conduct supportive, confidential wellbeing conversations.
• Respond appropriately while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Refer employees to the appropriate support services (e.g. EAP, Occupational Health, HR).
• Create a psychologically safe environment that encourages employees to seek help early.

A practical workshop that equips managers with the knowledge and skills to interpret, manage, and apply medical certificate requirements in line with workplace policies and relevant legislation.

Outcomes:

• Managers will be able to interpret medical certificates correctly, apply workplace policies consistently, and ensure legislative compliance by managing sick leave fairly and effectively.
• Managers will be empowered with the knowledge to know when and what aspects of sick notes can be challenged by the employer, as well as when to refuse a submitted sick note.

Presenteeism occurs when employees come to work despite being physically or mentally unwell, resulting in reduced productivity, increased errors, safety risks, and potentially worsening their health. Rather than encouraging attendance at all costs, this training teaches managers to balance productivity with employee wellbeing.

Outcomes:

• Define presenteeism and distinguish it from absenteeism.
• Recognise the causes and early signs of presenteeism.
• Understand the impact of presenteeism on employee wellbeing, productivity, safety, and organisational performance.
• Identify workplace factors that contribute to employees working while unwell.
• Conduct supportive conversations with employees experiencing health or wellbeing challenges.
• Implement practical strategies to reduce presenteeism while maintaining operational effectiveness.
• Refer employees to appropriate support services such as the EAP or Occupational Health.