Absence, Time Off and Working Time
In the UK, working time is regulated by the Working Time Regulations 1998 which impose limitations on the average working day and week. The same regulations also make provision for rest breaks and paid annual leave. There are other circumstances in which employers are legally obligated to offer special leave of absence to staff, such as to undertake jury service, trade union duties or military training. There are also various rights and entitlements to leave in respect of family and caring responsibilities which are covered in our Family-Friendly Rights and Equality Law topic collection.
The other main category of absence is, of course, sick leave. Employees (and some workers) will be eligible for statutory sick pay, subject to meeting certain requirements, when they are unable to attend work through ill health or injury. In many education settings, sick pay is enhanced through local or national schemes. Most sickness absence will be genuine, however it can often represent a significant cost for employers. An effective process for managing absence will, therefore, help to minimise cost whilst supporting the wellbeing of employees. To check whether an employee is eligible for SSP please click here.
About this topic collection:
This topic collection covers a broad area of topics linked to working time and time off work, starting with the basics in respect of statutory entitlements under the Working Time Regulations 1998 and contractual entitlements under collective agreements.
Sickness absence and managing attendance are covered in detail, including model resources around proactive management of sickness absence and guidance for managers on how to handle problem absences and long-term absence.
'Special leave' and other forms of time off are also included in this topic collection, providing information on other types of request for time off that schools and colleges may receive from employees as well as template policies and letters to deal with these and signposting, where appropriate to resources in other areas of the website.
Learn with us!
Our team run a variety of training courses, to support you in your role and facilitate your professional development within the education sector.
Upcoming sessions this term include:
Managing Long Term Sickness Absence 17 March
This course is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members, and line managers that may be involved in the management of long-term sickness absence. It may also be helpful for Governors or Trustees to have an overview of the management of long-term sickness in the event they are asked to consider the dismissal of a member of staff due to ill health or appeal against such a decision.
Breakfast Briefing ‘Understanding Occupational Sick Pay in the Education Sector' 24 Feb
This briefing is aimed at those involved with day-to-day management of staff and absences. This is likely to include members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members or line managers. This session would also be helpful for Governors or Trustees seeking to gain a better understanding of Occupational Sick Pay in the Sector.
Breakfast Briefing – ‘What is a disability? Common myths & misconceptions' 3 Feb
This briefing is aimed at those involved with day-to-day management of staff. This could include Governors, Trustees, members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members or line managers. This briefing will provide an overview of the definition of ‘disability’ in line with the Equality Act 2010. The briefing will also confirm or deny some key myths and misconceptions surrounding disabilities, to help in managing absence and supporting staff with underlying conditions moving forward.
Breakfast Briefing – ‘Reasonable Adjustments - when to make them' 12 March
This briefing is aimed at those involved with day-to-day management of staff. This could include Governors, Trustees, members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members or line managers. The session provides an overview of when the duty to make reasonable adjustments is actually triggered, when you may choose to make adjustments and some common adjustments that could be explored with an employee on a temporary or more permanent basis. This will include flexible working, phased returns and adaptions to the workplace.
Breakfast Briefing ‘Reasonable Adjustments for SEN Provisions' 19 March
In this session we briefly cover the legal requirement to make reasonable adjustments, then focus on the difficult issue of how to balance the support for staff against the requirement to meet pupil needs, where these pupils also have additional needs.
Wellbeing in the Workplace 24 March
The course is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers that may be involved in supporting staff wellbeing. The course is intended to provide an overview of employee wellbeing, the importance of this, the obligations on the employer to support wellbeing and how to utilise and make the most of any welfare meeting if concerns regarding staff wellbeing do arise.
For additional information and to book please click on the course title.
Please click here to view our full training offer.
Bespoke Training for your setting
We also provide a wide range of group training workshops in the management of human resources as well as whole staff workshops which can be delivered at your individual school or setting at a time to suit you. The content and duration can be tailored to your particular requirements. Please contact hrtraining@judicium.com for further information.