Most staff take time off work for legitimate reasons. However, this doesn't stop it making an impact upon your business.

It is estimated that 'National Sickie Day', the first Monday in February costs firms £29 million in lost business. So how can you minimise the effects of these absences?

Well, firstly you need to address the issue as to why the employee is off in the first place. Obviously some staff will be on authorized leave such as holidays or training but if they're off sick, is there more to it than just sickness? They may be stressed and feel unable to go to work - is there an ongoing problem with health or poor timekeeping?

Many companies are now seeing the wisdom in using an HRIS system that not only collates employee records but also tracks absences and using the Bradford Factor, suggest possible causes and ways to deal with these situations.

Most absences caused by sickness can be dealt with on an informal basis and any concerns raised during a return to work meeting. There may issues surrounding the job itself such as employee relations, working patterns or there may issues at home and these can be dealt with sensitively and discreetly. By following expertise legal advice you can be assured that you are acting in the correct manner all whilst documenting the events.

However, there will be times when the absences become more serious and disciplinary action needs to be taken. These procedures can best be handled through the use of an HR system that creates documentation as evidence and by following the advice of your employment law advisors.

If you run your business in this manner, you will not only be able to nip any slackness on the part of an employee in the bud, but also create a happier workforce and therefore better productivity.

For more information on sickness and absence, please click here
For more information regarding Employment Law, please click here