HR Advice Hub

How to Manage an Employee Who Keeps Calling in Sick: A Practical UK Guide

Occasional sickness absence is a normal part of running a business. But when an employee regularly calls in sick, it can start to impact your team, workload and overall morale.

It can also feel like a difficult situation to handle - especially if you’re unsure what’s reasonable, what’s fair, and what steps you can take.

The good news is, with the right approach, you can manage ongoing absence calmly, consistently and in line with employment law.

When Does Sickness Absence Become A Concern?

There’s no set number of days that automatically triggers concern, but patterns are often a good indicator. For example:

• Frequent short-term absences

• Patterns around weekends or certain days

• Repeated last-minute call-ins

• Ongoing disruption to the team

If something doesn’t feel quite right, it’s usually worth looking into further - but always with an open mind.

Start By Understanding The Situation

Before jumping to conclusions, it’s important to understand what’s behind the absences. There could be:

• An underlying health condition

• Stress or workload pressures

• Personal circumstances

• Or something work-related

A supportive, informal conversation is often the best place to start.

This doesn’t need to feel formal - just a calm check-in to understand what’s going on and whether any support is needed.

Take Informal Steps First

In many cases, early informal action can make a big difference. You might:

• Have a return-to-work conversation after each absence

• Talk through attendance expectations

• Offer support or adjustments where appropriate

• Keep a clear record of absences and conversations

Keeping things open and consistent helps set expectations without escalating things too quickly.

Using Sickness Triggers And Policies

If you have a sickness absence policy in place, this can provide a helpful framework for managing ongoing absence. Many policies include absence triggers, such as:

• A certain number of absences within a set period

• A number of days lost to sickness

• Patterns of absence

Triggers don’t mean formal action is automatic, but they do act as a prompt to review the situation more closely. Having a clear policy helps you:

• Set expectations from the outset

• Manage absence consistently across your team

• Give managers confidence in how to respond

• Reduce the risk of unfair or inconsistent decisions

If you don’t currently have a sickness absence policy, putting something simple in place can make situations like this much easier to manage.

When To Consider A More Formal Approach

If absence continues or starts to have a bigger impact, you may need to move into a more structured process. This could involve:

• Reviewing absence levels more formally

• Setting clear expectations for improvement

• Following a capability or absence management process

It’s important that any formal steps are handled fairly and consistently, with proper documentation in place.

Risks To Avoid

Managing sickness absence can be sensitive, and there are a few key risks to be aware of:

• Making assumptions about someone’s health

• Treating employees inconsistently

• Moving too quickly into formal action

• Not keeping clear records of conversations and decisions

Taking a balanced and fair approach helps protect both your employee and your business.

The Importance Of Good Record Keeping

Keeping accurate records of sickness absence is essential. This includes:

• Dates and reasons for absence

• Return-to-work discussions

• Any support offered

• Notes from conversations

Clear records help you:

• Spot patterns early

• Make fair decisions

• Demonstrate consistency if decisions are questioned

Need HR Support?

If you’re unsure whether your records are up to date or compliant, getting a quick review can help you spot any gaps early.

Clear, well-managed records don’t just help with compliance - they make day-to-day HR much easier to manage.

If you’d like a bit of support reviewing your records or getting things set up properly, BloomHR is here to help. Contact us for more information.