Dealing with sickness absence that occurs during or just before an employee’s holiday 

Managing sickness absence around holidays can be a tricky area for small businesses and charities. Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, employees have the right to take their annual leave at another time if they fall sick just before or during their holiday. This ensures they don’t lose out on their holiday entitlement due to illness.

Employee rights and responsibilities

If an employee becomes ill before their holiday, they can ask you to reschedule their leave. Similarly, if they fall sick during their holiday, they can claim the days as sick leave instead of annual leave. However, it’s essential that the employee follows your organisation’s sickness reporting procedures, such as providing a fit note if required, to support their request.

Managing sickness absence effectively

As a small business or charity, it’s important to have clear policies in place to manage these situations. We recommend making it clear to employees from point they join you that you’ll ask them to provide supporting evidence, like a fit note, in these situations. That’s just one of many tools that’ll help you manage the potential cost and impact sickness absence effectively.

Seek expert help

We know navigating sickness absence can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. At Marches HR, we offer expert advice tailored to the needs of small businesses and charities. Get in touch with us today for expert advice by calling 01432 610612 or dropping us a line at info@marcheshr.co.uk