Absence and Wellbeing - Corporate Staff
You are at the heart of the services we deliver, and we want you to know that we value the contributions you make every day. We couldn't do what we do without you.
We want to create a healthy working environment that helps you to perform well and to provide you with support that has a positive impact on your physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
We want to achieve a workplace where:
- We support the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees
- Everyone can find Support and Information when they need it, which is relevant to their role
- Everyone knows how to improve and maintain their own health and wellbeing and to make healthy lifestyle choices
Corporate Staff - Absence & Wellbeing Procedure
This procedure is designed to support managers and employees who are absent from work. The aim is to ensure absences are managed consistently; using a person centred approach, prioritising wellbeing, and encourage you to be proactive, whilst applying creativity and flexibility to help an employee return to work and maintain sustainable attendance thereafter.
Absence & Wellbeing Procedure - Corporate Staff
Absence Flowchart
Short Term Absence Guidance
The wellbeing and absence procedure is based on a set of five guiding principles, as follows:
- Person Centred
- Prioritising Wellbeing
- Proactive
- Flexible and Creative
- Consistent
These principles have been introduced to recognise the unique challenges you may face when supporting the health and wellbeing of an employee. It is important to recognise each employee may require different support to maintain high levels of wellbeing and sustainable attendance.
In the procedure, consistency means applying the other four guiding principles equally to all employees. This could mean the same actions do not need to be applied to all cases.
You are encouraged to use your own initiative to support an employee with their absence. Where you have any queries on how to apply the above principles consistently, please contact HR for further advice and guidance.
HR@cumbriafire.gov.uk
Long Term Absence Guidance
The wellbeing and absence procedure is based on a set of five guiding principles, as follows:
- Person Centred
- Prioritising Wellbeing
- Proactive
- Flexible and Creative
- Consistent
These principles have been introduced to recognise the unique challenges you may face when supporting the health and wellbeing of an employee. It is important to recognise each employee may require different support to maintain high levels of wellbeing and sustainable attendance.
In the procedure, consistency means applying the other four guiding principles equally to all employees. This could mean the same actions do not need to be applied to all cases.
You are encouraged to use your own initiative to support an employee with their absence. Where you have any queries on how to apply the above principles consistently, please contact HR for further advice and guidance.
HR@cumbriafire.gov.uk
Return to Work Guidance
The purpose of this guidance is so you, as the manager, can understand the process of welcoming an employee back to work after a period of absence, and to provide support to employees to make health and wellbeing improvements, enabling employees to return to work and maintain sustainable attendance thereafter.
Managing Wellbeing
The purpose of this guidance is so you, as the manager, can understand what support is available to you to create a healthy working environment
Industrial Injury - Corporate Staff
This guidance to support managers and employees on the implementation and management of industrial injuries and associated entitlement. You should read this in conjunction with the Absence Procedure. It applies to all employees covered by Green Book conditions of service.
All accidents and incidents must be reported. Please contact Health and Safety.
Occupational Health Service
The Occupational Health service carry out pre-employment medical screening, deal with fitness for work referrals, advise on workplace adjustments and undertake a number of health assessments specific to particular jobs.
The service will also work on the promotion and improvement of employee health and wellbeing. Other services such as counselling, physiotherapy and specialist medical referrals will be carried out by partner organisations.
Initial contact will usually be made by managers via the Occupational Health Portal. Please click on the tabs below for instructions.
The Occupational Health Service will then contact the manager/employee either via the portal, by phone or with a face to face appointment. Face to face appointments may be with an occupational health nurse or doctor and will be held at various clinics around the County.
Manager Assistance
The Occupational Health service is available to advise managers at any time about how best to support an employee who is off sick. Managers are encouraged to contact the service as soon as possible where an employee's medical condition is causing concern.
If you would like advice, please contact the Occupational Health Service via the portal link below and a member of the team will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
You will need to log into the Occupational Health managers portal. The Managers Portal Guidance below provides a step by step guide to the new system.
Link: Occupational Health Portal Guidance (WORD)
Link: Occupational Health Portal
Fitness For Work Referral
Managers must refer employees to the Occupational Health Service as any of the following apply:
- When an employee has been absent for 3 weeks
- When an employee is absent for any period with stress or a stress-related illness
- For a work-related injury that may lead or has led to absence from work
Managers will need to discuss the referral with the employee concerned.
Then complete a questionnaire on the Occupational Health portal.
You will need to log into the Occupational Health managers portal. The Managers Portal Guidance below provides a step by step guide to the new system.
Link: Occupational Health Portal Guidance (WORD)
Link: Occupational Health Portal
Link: Fitness for work - Guidance for Managers (WORD)
Link: Fitness for work - Guidance for Employees (WORD)
Night Work Assessments
Under the Working Time Regulations any employee who works at least 3 hours between 2300 and 0600 on a regular basis is a night worker.
Certain health conditions may be affected by night work. For this reason the regulations require employers to make health assessments available to all night workers prior to undertaking night work and thereafter at 12 monthly intervals.
The initial health assessment is undertaken with the pre-employment medical screening when you joined the organisation. Future assessments are facilitated by completion of an online questionnaire. The online questionnaire can be accessed using a work or personal computer using the link on the next page.
You will be asked to complete a series of questions and depending on your responses you will either be cleared straightaway or referred to the occupational health advisor to discuss your responses in more detail. Your line manager will be notified of the overall result but not informed of your medical information without your consent.
Link: Night Workers Portal Guidance (WORD)
Link: Occupational Health Portal
Self-Referral Scheme for Counselling
The Occupational Health Service also operates an employee self-referral scheme for counselling.
Please note counselling can be provided as an interim measure of support while the employee seeks longer term treatment and support through First Step. The First Step contact details are:
Telephone: 03001 239122
Email: firststep@nhs.net
Web: www.cumbriapartnership.nhs.uk
Once your referral has been triaged then you will be referred to a counsellor initially for up to four sessions.
Link: Self Referral for Counselling Portal Guidance (WORD)
Link: Occupational Health Portal
Please note: The Occupational Health Service is currently a hosted service, with Westmorland and Furness Council. For their dedicated pages, please go to this link: Occupational Health
Disability Leave
This procedure enhances the support and assistance available to disabled employees. Disability leave is paid time off work which may be granted where an employee is absent as a result of their disability, but for reasons other than sickness.
Directed Medical Absence
This guidance provides clarification on the existing Directed Medical Absence procedure. Directed Medical Absence allows an employee to be absent on full pay with their sick pay entitlement not affected if the employee wants to return to work, but this is deemed a hazard.
Absent Without Leave (AWOL)
This Guidance aims to provide information to managers so they can support employees who are absent without leave.
HR Service
If you need any advice or have queries on a policy, procedure or guidance, please get in touch with one of our team via email: HR@cumbriafire.gov.uk