{"id":16525,"date":"2026-04-23T18:46:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&p=16525"},"modified":"2026-07-13T12:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T12:21:17","slug":"managing-sickness-absence","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/absence-management\/managing-sickness-absence\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage sickness absence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Written by: <\/p>\n\n\n

Hannah Mason<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Share<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Return-to-work meetings are central to absence management, but they’re not the only tool employers rely on. Drawing on insights from HR professionals at the Brightmine sick pay and absence webinar, we explore the practical tools organisations use to manage absence effectively, and why both consistency and flexibility matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brightmine hosted a webinar on sick pay and absence management<\/a>, which focused on the changes to statutory sick pay under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and practical ways to manage absence. This piece draws on insights shared by HR professionals during the webinar to explore the tools organisations use to manage absence effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return-to-work meetings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Return-to-work meetings are a recognised absence management tool. Around half (52.3%) of HR professionals attending the webinar said their organisation always conducts return-to-work meetings following each absence, 43.4% said they sometimes do, and just 4.3% said they never use them. This suggests that for many organisations, return-to-work meetings are central to absence management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The return-to-work interview can promote open communication and help line managers support employees returning to work following an absence. There are a number of benefits to conducting return-to-work meetings after both short- and long-term absences to ensure support is given where needed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of conducting return-to-work meetings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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