1. Pre-employment: Employment procedures should not be discriminatory and should not be at odds with equal opportunities policy. Exclusion on the grounds of medical unfitness should be as a last resort.

2. Induction: New workers should be informed immediately of all policies relating to sickness absence, including equal opportunities, disability, workplace health and drug and alcohol abuse policie. The role of the occupational health service (OHS) should be explained.

3. Sickness absence procedure: This should be simple and should be designed to support workers who are sick.

4. Work-related ill-health: The employer should provide a good physical work environment, a safety and healthy workplace, good induction training, ongoing efforts to improve job satisfaction, properly trained, supported supervisors, worker-friendly working systems and support for people with children, including crèches and carers' leave.

5. Abuse of the system: If proven, this is a matter for the disciplinary procedure - always seek union advice if accused of abusing the sickness absence procedure.

6. Training: Managers must be properly trained on the correct implementation of the policy, and this should emphasise the company's healthy workplace commitment. It should include details of correct use of the OHS and of the role of rehabilitation.

7. Health credits: Also known as mental health days or hours, this is paid time off and can be used by the worker for anything they see fit. It is also seen as recognition that job quality is improved and stress reduced if workers have time to deal with commitments outside of work that fall in work time. A similar function is performed by "duvet days", where workers are allowed to take a day's holiday at short notice - however, health credits and not part of your holiday allowance.

Excerpt from Workplace sickness, Hazards 66, April-June 1999.

Detailed guidance: Control or management? Guidelines on sickness absence policies for UNISON branches, stewards and safety representatives [pdf format], UNISON, 2000.

Related Hazards webpages

Workplace alcohol and drugs policies

Work-life balance and stress

Rehabilitation

Hazards' tools to find out if your job is making you sick