1.1 Oxford Brookes University (OBU) is committed to creating an inclusive culture and developing work practices and people policies that enable everyone to thrive.
2.2 OBU cares about the wellbeing of our employees and, as part of the Wellbeing at Work Strategy, supports those who are adversely impacted by ill-health.
2.1 The purpose of this policy is to:
3.1 Sickness absence is absence taken related to ill-health or injury, which this policy is concerned with.
3.2 Short-term sickness absence is one, or multiple, occurrence(s) of absence with a duration(s) of less than four weeks.
3.3 Long-term sickness absence is one occurrence of absence with a duration of more than four weeks.
3.4 Sickness absence triggers are the points at which an employee’s sickness absence record warrants consideration through the absence management procedures. They are detailed in section 6 of this policy and include:
3.5 Disability under the Equality Act 2010 is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on the ability to do normal daily activities. Some conditions are automatically classed as a disability, including cancer, an HIV infection, Multiple Sclerosis, a visual impairment, as well as progressive conditions.
3.5.1 Long-term means lasting 12 months or more (or are reasonably
expected to last this long), or are likely to last for the rest of life. This can include fluctuating conditions.
3.5.2 Substantial means more than just a minor impact on someone's life or how they can do certain things. This may fluctuate or change and may not happen all the time.
3.5.3 Normal activities include things people do in their home and social life. It also includes things that let people participate fully in their working life.
3.6 Reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 to make changes to remove or reduce disadvantages related to someone's disability. They can cover any area of work, and can be for physical or mental health conditions. What constitutes a “reasonable" adjustment is dependent on the context, the employee’s needs, and the organisation's resources. They must be operationally feasible, affordable, and likely to enable the employee to fulfil their duties to an acceptable standard.
3.7 Capability refers to the employee’s ability to fulfil the needs of their role, and relates to their skills, aptitudes or competences, and their application. This may be related to health and/or a disability (known as medical capability), it may be due to high absence levels (known as repeat short-term absence), or due to lack of, or lack of application of, the skills, aptitudes and competencies needed to meet the requirements of the role (known as poor performance). For more information see the Capability Procedure.
3.8 Recovery when used in this policy refers to a holistic process of living well, rather than the absence of ill-health, disease or disability.
4.1 This policy applies to all employees of OBU.
4.2 This policy relates to sickness absence, as defined in section 3.1. OBU provides for a variety of family friendly and other leave types, which may be appropriate in an employee's circumstances. The Flexible Working Policy may also be appropriate where absence is related to difficulties with work-life balance.
4.3 OBU operates a wide range of policies, procedures, guidance and support to ensure that employees are treated with dignity and respect, and are supported to fulfil their role. Where sickness absence levels are a concern, managers are encouraged, and can be supported by the People Directorate, to understand the root cause of the absence to ensure that the appropriate steps are taken.
4.4 Where appropriate, and in line with the procedural steps outlined in section 6, the Capability Procedure may be invoked. This formal procedure is designed to support employees and managers in dealing with problems regarding performance, including where absence, ill-health or disability prevents an employee from fulfilling their role effectively and where informal attempts to decrease levels of absence have been unsuccessful.
4.5 This policy does not form part of any contract of employment or contract to provide services, and may be amended at any time following consultation with the recognised Trade Unions.
5.1 Employees will be treated with compassion and respect during any period of sickness absence. OBU will seek to support the employee during periods of absence and upon a return to work to support their recovery and safeguard their employment where appropriate and possible.
5.2 OBU supports employees through an Occupational Sick Pay (OSP) scheme, the provision of an Occupational Health service and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) (Brookes login required).
5.3 It is recognised there is the possibility that this support may be abused, and/or sickness absence may be unjustifiable. OBU’s Disciplinary Policy and Procedure may be invoked where there is evidence of this. In such instances, eligibility for OSP may also be withdrawn.
5.4 All sickness absence must be notified and certified (as detailed in section 6 below), and employees are expected to engage in assessment by Occupational Health where this is identified as appropriate by the line manager or the People Directorate. Failure to comply with this policy, cases where an employee is found to be reckless and this is impacting on attendance, or not following medical advice, may result in the withdrawal of sick pay. It may also result in the employee being subject to disciplinary proceedings. OSP may not be applicable in the case of some elective procedures. Line managers must speak with their link People Manager (Brookes login required) for advice on any such cases.
5.5 Employees may be eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP) as set out by Gov.co.uk, and OSP in line with their contract of employment. This includes where an employee has been offered and accepted any shifts and then falls ill or is injured, and is unable to work.
5.6 OBU will not discriminate on the grounds of sex, race / ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion / belief (or lack of belief), pregnancy / maternity, marriage / civil partnership or gender reassignment when applying this policy and associated procedures. Reasonable adjustments will be made throughout to support employees as required.
5.7 In the management of absence informally or formally, OBU will make decisions in good faith based on the information available. The University therefore encourages employees to disclose the necessary information to enable line managers to support them effectively to carry out the duties and responsibilities of their role. Where an employee has a concern regarding disclosure of the reason for their absence they should contact the People Directorate Operations team directly, by email or by telephoning: +44 (0)1865 806763, to provide that information. The People Directorate will arrange for the reason for absence to be noted on the employee's file, clearly marked as not to be disclosed outside the People Directorate. The absence will be recorded on People XD but the reason will not.
5.8 The statutory framework of employment rights for employees with a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010 and set out in section 3.5 above) will affect the way in which some cases should be handled. Managers must seek the advice of their link People Manager (Brookes login required) where the employee concerned has declared a statutory defined disability and support from Occupational Health may be advisable.
5.9 Periods of absence related to pregnancy and childbirth are also regulated by the statutory provisions of the Equality Act 2010, affecting maternity leave and pay. Managers should seek the advice of their link People Manager (Brookes login required) in cases where there are concerns regarding sickness absence during pregnancy.
5.10 Where an employee falls ill or is injured during a period of annual leave, they will be regarded as being on sick leave and not on annual leave, subject to the required certification.
5.11 During periods of sickness, employees accrue annual leave as normal. If an employee is not able to use their accrued statutory annual leave (20 days maximum) because of long term sickness absence, this leave can be carried over, and must be used within 18 months from the date it is carried over.
5.12 Employees have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or Trade Union representative in any formal meeting convened under this policy’s associated procedures. Where it is agreed with the relevant manager, or as a reasonable adjustment, that right may be extended to include informal meetings.
5.13 Line managers may ask employees not to come into work if they have been in contact with an infectious or contagious disease (following relevant public health advice and/or taking into account the impact on colleagues), or they are otherwise unfit to attend work due to illness or injury. This is in line with the University’s duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which requires employers to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect the health, safety, and welfare of employees at work. Where there is any disagreement line managers can seek guidance from their link People Manager (Brookes login required) or email the Health and Safety team.
5.14 In cases of unsatisfactory levels of short or long term sickness absence, OBU may consider dismissal in line with this policy and the relevant procedures.
5.15 Where an employee is absent due to work-related ill-health or injury, line managers must consider their responsibilities under the Health and Safety Policies and Procedures, including reporting requirements and referral to Occupational Health.
6.1 On the first day of sickness absence from work, employees must contact their line manager by telephone two hours before the normal time of starting work (local arrangements may be in place for alternative methods of contact and earlier notification), or as soon as practicable thereafter.
6.2 The employee should inform the line manager about the cause of their absence and if they are able to do so at that time, the likely duration of absence.
6.3 For sickness absence of up to and including seven days (including Saturdays and Sundays), the employee is required to complete the Self Certification Form in People XD (Brookes login required), which must be completed as soon as possible, and normally no later than the eighth calendar day after the first day of absence.
6.4 For sickness absence of more than seven calendar days (including Saturdays and Sundays), the employee must obtain a Statement of Fitness for Work (Med 3 form) or “Fit Note” from a healthcare professional, and forward it to their line manager (or the nominated administrator).
6.5 The line manager (or nominated administrator) will record the absence on People XD (Brookes login required) as soon as they are notified of the absence, or as soon as practical. Fit Notes must be forwarded to the PD Operations Team email as soon as possible, in order to allow for the accurate calculation and payment of sick pay.
6.6 It is responsible and wholly appropriate for line managers to contact employees during periods of sickness absence in order to maintain meaningful dialogue, ensuring employees are supported and the absence is managed.
6.7 Line managers and employees should agree on how to stay in touch during periods of sickness absence, and how much contact is reasonable. As a guide it is recommended that for absences of more than one week, but less than four weeks contact is made on a weekly basis. For absences longer than four weeks contact is recommended on a monthly basis, increasing contact again when nearing a planned return to work. For absences shorter than one week contact should be minimised to that which is necessary. Contact should balance the enabling of rest and recovery, whilst checking the employee is supported, and ensuring the line manager is informed about changes to the employee’s health which could affect their return to work.
6.8 The exact frequency of contact will depend on the employee's individual circumstances, and conversations should be carried out sensitively and respectfully. Advice can be sought from the link People Manager on what might be appropriate, particularly in the instance of poor mental health or work-related stress.
6.9 As appropriate to the individual circumstances, line managers should:
6.10 The employee must keep the line manager (and any nominated administrator) informed if the proposed date of return to work changes.
6.11 The line manager must keep the employee updated on promotion or other job opportunities, proposed redundancies, or reorganisations that could affect their job. This is to ensure that employees suffer no detriment as a result of having time off.
6.12 When an employee returns to work from a period of sickness absence (of any duration), the manager should hold a Return To Work Meeting with the employee, ideally on their first day back to work, or as soon as practicable. The meeting should be recorded on the Return To Work Form (Brookes login required), which provides guidance on what should be discussed at the meeting.
6.13 The purpose of a Return To Work Meeting is to review the reasons for the absence and any medical or other issues involved that may continue to have an impact on attendance at work. The line manager may subsequently seek further advice from Occupational Health where appropriate.
6.14 A Return to Work Meeting gives the opportunity to:
6.15 Return to Work Meetings also give the opportunity for line managers to identify and explore with the employee any patterns of absences. Patterns may be observed in the days of the week or month that sickness absence occurs, may be linked to personal matters, or may be linked to work-related activity (see section 5.15).
6.16 A phased return might be appropriate after a long-term illness or serious injury. Further information on the options available are detailed in Appendix 1 (Brookes login required). Where a phased return includes a reduction in working hours:
6.17 Further information and advice on managing a successful return to work can be provided by Occupational Health or the link People Manager (Brookes login required). It is also advisable to consider using a Wellness Action Plan (Brookes login required), to support the return to work. A Wellness Action Plan is an evidence-based system used worldwide to support mental health and wellbeing. Whilst initially developed to address mental health issues, these are intended to be a universal, proactive tool for everyone in the workplace.
6.19 The line manager must update People XD (Brookes login required) when the employee returns to work (and in the instance of an absence of seven days or more, update by email the PD Operations Team) and forward all certification to ensure correct payment.
6.20 Reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement for all employees and workers where the employer knows (or could reasonably be expected to know) that someone is disabled. Where a disabled employee asks for adjustments, or is having difficulty with any part of their job, including sickness absence related to their disability, any reasonable adjustments (as defined in section 3.6), identified must be made.
6.21 Whilst intended to support disabled employees, some workplace adjustments can also be beneficial and even necessary for employees who do not have a disability in certain situations. While not legally mandated in the same way, adjustments can improve productivity, wellbeing, and inclusion for everyone in the workplace, and improve attendance levels. In many cases, an Occupational Health assessment can determine if an employee’s health concern may be considered a disability under the relevant legislation.
6.22 When considering reasonable adjustments to remove or reduce any disadvantage, the employee must be involved in the conversation to ensure assumptions are not made. Other considerations include practicality, affordability, likely effectiveness, and ensuring adjustments will not harm the health, safety, and wellbeing of others.
6.23 Reasonable adjustments do not have to change the basic nature of the job, but may include: finding ways to do things differently, making changes to the working environment, changing working arrangements, or providing equipment, services or support in order to enable the employee to attend work and fulfill their role.
6.24 Having reasonable adjustments in place does not remove the University’s obligations to apply this policy, including the monitoring of absence, which is necessary to carry out OBU’s duty of care to the employee.
6.25 It is anticipated that where reasonable adjustments are required, the employee and line manager will come to agreement locally. Occupational Health can support with an assessment of the employee and make recommendations on adjustments that may support them. It is for line managers to determine what is reasonable, after discussion with the employee and seeking expert advice where required. Where mutual agreement cannot be found, the line manager must contact the link People Manager (Brookes login required).
6.26 Where possible medical appointments should be made outside of work time. If this is not possible, the employee should endeavour to minimise disruption, for example by arranging appointments for the start or end of the working day.
6.27 Where an appointment is during work time, the employee must ask their manager for approval, giving as much notice as possible. The line manager must make every effort to approve the request for time off, giving particular consideration to the difficulties in accessing care in a timely way, and in particular in instances where appointments are with a specialist or consultant, or as a result of having been placed on a waiting list for medical treatment.
6.28 Reasonable time off for medical appointments will be paid where evidence of the appointment is provided e.g. an appointment card, text, email or letter. Full details need not be disclosed, however the date, time and confirmation of appointment must be evidenced. If the medical appointment is in the morning paid leave will normally be granted for the morning only but will include as a minimum reasonable time for travelling as well as the time for the appointment itself. If the medical appointment is in the afternoon and it is impracticable for an employee to return to work before the end of the standard working day, paid leave will normally be granted until the end of the standard working day. PVCs/Directors will have discretion to vary either of these arrangements if they consider it appropriate.
6.29 Where regular and/or ongoing time off is required to attend appointments in relation to a disability or underlying health condition, the line manager should decide whether and how this can be reasonably accommodated and should seek advice from their link People Manager (Brookes login required) or Occupational Health.
6.30 Where medical appointments are pregnancy-related, please refer to the Maternity Policy.
6.31 The University wishes to support staff who are undergoing IVF or similar treatment. Time off to attend doctor or hospital appointments will be provided in the same way as it would for any other doctor or hospital appointment.
6.32 When sickness absence triggers are met (see section 3.4), the line manager must arrange a confidential, informal and supportive conversation with the employee to discuss their absence record. This is known as an Informal Sickness Absence Review Meeting.
6.33 This conversation gives further opportunity to establish the root cause of the absences, including whether they are work-related, to inform next steps.
6.34 The line manager may also consider whether holding an Informal Sickness Absence Review Meeting may be required before the absence triggers are reached if;
6.35 The line manager may conclude that there is likely to be an underlying medical reason for the absence(s). In this instance a referral to Occupational Health for assessment should be made to support and help improve the employee’s attendance record and support their recovery.
6.36 Where the line manager identifies other steps that should be taken to support improvement in absence levels, this should be agreed and prompt action taken. This may include exploring other suitable leave types, or removing/reducing any work-related factors, assessed through the relevant Health and Safety risk assessment.
6.37 The line manager will draft a confidential record of the meeting and share this with the employee. This record need not be extensive, but must include the key points of the discussion, focussing on the root causes of absence, any underlying issues or health conditions disclosed, and the expectations set moving forwards, including next steps and agreed action plans. More information on how to conduct an Informal Sickness Absence Review Meeting can be found in Appendix 1 (Brookes login required).
6.38 Where Occupational Health identifies a medical cause for the sickness absence, the line manager should consider adjustments (see sections 6.20 - 6.25) to facilitate improved attendance. In some cases, with the support of the People Directorate, it may be appropriate to consider redeployment to another post via the Redeployment Scheme.
6.39 Where Occupational Health considers there to be no underlying health reason for the repeated absences, the line manager should continue to explore the reasons for the absence with the employee. Where no justifiable reason is identified, the line manager must make it clear that the level of sickness absence is unacceptable, indicate the improvement required and the timescale over which this is expected. The line manager will also indicate that further formal action may be taken if there is no improvement. A record of the discussion shall be kept and a date agreed on which to review the situation.
6.40 If the employee’s sickness absence fails to show the targeted improvement, the line manager, in consultation with their link People Manager (Brookes login required) and Occupational Health (where appropriate) will review the targets and the reasons why they have not been met. If they consider that the necessary improvements have not been made, without a clear reason that can be informally addressed, they may conclude that the formal Capability Procedure shall be invoked (or the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure may be invoked as per section 5.3).
6.41 When an employee is absent on the grounds of ill-health or injury for more than four weeks, the line manager should make a referral to Occupational Health.
6.42 If the Occupational Health report suggests that there is a good prospect of recovery and a return to work within a period of up to 12 months then the employee should be supported in that recovery and return to work.
6.43 Where there is no prospect of a return to work within 12 months, and having taken all the potential options into account, the line manager may invoke the formal Capability Procedure. In some cases, where supported by the People Manager (Brookes login required) and the Occupational Health report, the line manager may recommend progressing straight to the final stages of the formal capability review.
6.44 In the event of a very serious or terminal illness, the line manager will make every effort to support the employee, taking their views and wishes into account (which may include exploring options for early ill-health retirement or remaining in employment so as to receive Death in Service benefits, subject to the rules of the relevant pension scheme in force at the time). Managers must always seek advice from their link People Manager (Brookes login required) and Occupational Health in such circumstances and employees should contact their pension scheme for advice.
7.1 Employees are responsible for taking appropriate and reasonable steps to manage their own health and wellbeing in order to fulfil their contractual obligations and perform to the required standards of their role.
7.2 Employees must comply with the requirements detailed in this policy in relation to:
7.3 Line managers (and nominated administrators) must treat employees with compassion and respect during periods of sickness absence, assuming absence is genuine unless there is evidence to the contrary. They are responsible for recording and managing sickness absence in line with this policy, including prompt logging on People XD (Brookes login required) for absences up to and including seven consecutive days and the forwarding of Fit Notes by email to the PD Operations Team.
7.4 The primary relationship is between the employee and the line manager and to that end the University would wish to see managers taking the lead in effectively responding to all degrees of sickness absence. Line managers are responsible for carrying out their duties in compliance with this policy, including:
7.5 Line managers are responsible for initiating Occupational Health referrals, and considering adjustments or redeployment where needed and as directed by this policy, with advice from the People Directorate.
7.6 Line managers should seek advice from their link People Manager (Brookes login required) before invoking formal procedures if attendance does not improve under this policy, ensuring fair application of the relevant policies and procedures.
7.7 The People Directorate will process Fit Notes to ensure correct payment on receipt, and inform employees of any changes to their sick pay entitlements prior to payment.
7.8 People Managers will support line managers with policy guidance, formal case management under the relevant procedures, and interpretation of Occupational Health advice. They can advise on complex or long-term absence cases, including serious illness, redeployment, or ill-health retirement (see Appendix 2) (Brookes login required).
8.1 It is OBU’s aim to deal with sickness absence with respect for the privacy of its employees. Any information received or provided in connection with an employee's sickness absence must be treated as confidential, subject to seeking advice and guidance as per this policy and its related procedures.
8.2 Medical information is categorised as special category data under UK GDPR and should be treated as sensitive personal data. It must be held securely, and for the minimum period in accordance with Data Protection law and OBU’s Records Retention Schedule (Brookes login required).
8.3 Medical documentation including FIT notes must be forwarded by email to the PD Operations Team and copies must not be retained in the Faculty/Directorate.
8.4 Records of Return to Work Meetings, Informal Sickness Absence Review Meetings, or other informal conversations do not need to be forwarded to the People Directorate, but must be held securely in line with 8.2 above and in line with the University’s IT Acceptable Use Policy.
8.5 Unauthorised voice or video recording of conversations and meetings is prohibited and must not to be used within the process. Anyone in breach of data privacy rights of others may be subject to disciplinary action.
8.6 The People Directorate provides periodical statistical information to the Faculty/Directorate management team to support the identification of trends. On request from the line manager, individual sickness reports for their employees showing all of their absences in the last 12 months with the reason for absence can normally be provided. The accuracy of these reports is dependent on accurate and timely recording of all absences in People XD (Brookes login required) by the line manager.
8.7 Before any Occupational Health referral is made the line manager should discuss the need for a referral with the employee and gain their express consent to make the referral. Any Occupational Health information collated by the University’s nominated Occupational Health provider UKIM will be handled in line with their Data Privacy Statement. It should be noted that withholding consent means the University can only make decisions on the information available.
9.1 User guides (Brookes login required) for logging absence in People XD (Brookes login required) are available for line managers, with an accompanying video (Brookes login required) with instructions. Any issues, questions or queries regarding this functionality must be submitted as a ServiceNow incident (Brookes login required) via the IT Service Desk (Brookes login required).
10.1 Occupational Health is a confidential service to help and support employees and line managers to effectively manage sickness absence. Many illnesses and injuries will be outside the expertise of the University and professional advice is needed.
10.2 OBU partners with an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) (Brookes login required) providing free, impartial and confidential access to a range of health and wellbeing information and resources via an online platform (Brookes login required) and a free confidential helpline open 24/7 365 days a year on 0800 028 0199.
10.3 OBU have trained Mental Health First Aiders (Brookes login required) who are trained to listen to concerns and signpost relevant help and support.
10.4 OBU provides a range of support, information and resources to both employees and line managers, in order to deal with concerns or problems, manage stress in the workplace, and strengthen personal resources to support and improve employee health and wellbeing.
10.5 OBU is a Disability Confident Employer and has a Staff Disability Network, which is an inclusive forum that aims to provide peer support and share information to raise awareness of disability issues and improve the experience of disabled employees.
10.6 Access to Work is a government scheme that helps people who have a physical or mental health condition or disability who need support to do their job or get to and from work.
For those eligible, Access to Work may provide a grant to help pay for practical support with work, or support with managing mental health at work. Access to Work must be initiated by the employee, and will be subject to the provision and wait times of the scheme. This is not a substitute for the employer's legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments or pay for them
Return to work meeting form (Brookes login required)
Policy sign-off and ownership details
Document name: Sickness Absence Management Policy
Document Type: Policy
Version Number: V2
Equality Impact Assessment: October 2025
Approved by: JSC
Date Approved: 12 November 2025
Effective from: 15 January 2025
Supersedes (if applicable): Managing absence from work due to ill-health policy
Next Review Due: January 2028
Author / Lead Contact: Policy Manager
Policy Owner: People Directorate
Document Location: Employment policies, absence.
Related University Policies / Procedures / Guidance: Wellbeing Pages, Stress Pages, Prevention and Management of Work-Related Stress Policy, Capability Procedure, Disciplinary Policy and Procedure, Family Pages.
Keywords: Sickness, Absence, Ill-health, Illness, Injury, Capability
Revision history
V2, 15 January 2025
Past review date
Change of title
New Policy Framework Template.
PD Absence Management Project.
Felicity Ball, Policy Manager.