Manage absenteeism and sickness in a food and drink business

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to manage absenteeism and sickness in a food and drink business. Managing persistent absenteeism and sickness is important in the day to day operation of a food and drink business. The effect on motivation and colleagues within the business, who must cover for absent staff, can have an adverse affect on the effectiveness of the food and drink business. You will need the skills and knowledge to communicate the expected procedures and levels of attendance to the people within your area of responsibility, monitor adherence to the procedures and address any problems. You must have the skills and knowledge to address poor attendance rates with individuals and discuss ways of increasing attendance. This standard is for you if you work in food and drink manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in managing absenteeism and sickness in a food and drink business.

Communicate procedures

1. communicate the organisational reporting procedures to be

   followed when a member of staff is sick or absent to all people in

   your area of responsibility

2. check the organisational requirements are adhered to and

   address problems when necessary

3. confirm an acceptable level of absence within a period of time and

   communicate this to all people within your area of responsibility

4. determine and communicate the consequences of not adhering to

   organisational procedures or exceeding acceptable levels of

   absence

   Monitor absence rates

5. record absences according to organisational requirements

   including day of the week, length of absence, reason for absence

   and any additional relevant information

6. monitor trends in individual absence rates and across your area of

   the food and drink business

   Address absenteeism

7. identify individuals with excessive absenteeism and sickness and

   trends in these rates

8. address excessive absenteeism or sickness with an individual in

   accordance with organisational procedures

9. confirm that the people within your area of responsibility are

   honest and open with problems affecting their attendance rates at

   work

10. discuss different options to help alleviate attendance problems

11. determine what motivates the people in your area of responsibility

    and work to increase this motivation

12. consider and report on the use of attendance bonuses and

    rewards or remunerative reductions for poor attendance

1. the organisational and regulatory requirements relating to the

   management of sickness and absenteeism in a food and drink

   business

   2. the organisational methods of communication and information

   technology available in your food and drink business and how to

   make best use of them

   3. how to determine an acceptable level of absence, the advantages

   and disadvantages of communicating and enforcing these levels

   4. why it is important to record and monitor individuals' absence

   records and how to do this

   5. how to identify individuals with excessive absenteeism or sickness

   trends

   6. the organisational procedures to adhere to when addressing

   absenteeism and sickness with the individual

   7. the specific issues of identifying and controlling sickness in a food

   and drink business to comply with food safety requirements

   8. how reporting sickness and return to work procedures are

   important in food and drink business and food safety compliance

   9. why it is important to address each case on an individual basis

   and how to do this

   10. how to encourage people within your area of responsibility to be

   honest and open when discussing attendance and sickness

   issues

   11. the different working patterns available in your food and drink

   business

   12. why it is important to be aware of conflict within your area of

   responsibility and across the food and drink business

   13. what the advantages and disadvantages are of performance

   related pay in your food and drink business

   14. how to monitor the control of absenteeism and why it is important

   to do this