Statistics recently released by the Office for National Statistics revealed long-term illness levels in the UK are at an all-time high, with over 2.5 million people off work due to poor health. While any organisation can find itself with an employee on long-term sick leave, the construction industry is at greater risk because of the nature of the work. Accidents at work are more prevalent, while illness or injury are more likely to render an employee unable to work as normal. Consequently, construction businesses need to be well prepared. Outlined below is some information to help employers stay on top of issue.

Sickness policy

As a starting point, employers should ensure they have an effective sickness policy in place. This will reduce legal risk, facilitate dealing with absences consistently and effectively, and signpost to employees the standards of attendance and reporting expected.

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