Sickness and Absence Monitoring
Gain invaluable insights with advanced absence tracking
Gain invaluable insights with advanced absence tracking
It’s unrealistic to expect your team to never take a day off sick. However, it’s important you keep a record of absence to detect any underlying issues and trends.
Breathe lets you take control and removes the hassle of managing sickness and absence of your employees.
Monitoring your staff’s absence is about much more than just documentation. The right absence management software will help you identify illness patterns, support your staff to get back to work, nip potential absenteeism in the bud, and take steps to reduce staff absence.
Breathe’s sickness monitoring software keeps all sick notes and back-to-work documents in one place, produces in-depth absence reports, and makes automatic Bradford Factor calculations. It’s the ultimate tool for keeping on top of absence.
Supporting employees during sickness absence is essential for maintaining a healthy, motivated workforce. At Breathe HR, we understand that showing genuine care helps staff feel valued and supported, which can speed up recovery and encourage a smoother return to work. Providing the right support reduces the risk of long-term absence and helps maintain employee morale and productivity.
Absences fall into two key categories - planned and unplanned. Knowing the difference can help you respond in the right way and minimise disruptions.
Planned Absences are expected and approved in advance, like holiday or appointments. They give you time to plan ahead and keep things running smoothly.
Unplanned Absences happen without warning - usually due to illness or emergencies and need quick action to minimise disruption.
Sickness Absence: Time off work due to illness or injury.
Short Term Absence: Absences lasting less than a week, often due to minor illness.
Long Term Absence: Extended time off, usually more than seven days, which may require additional support upon return to work.
Sick Note (Fit Note): A medical certificate from a doctor confirming an employee is unfit for work or may need adjustments to return safely.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): The minimum sick pay employers are legally required to provide for eligible employees.
Unauthorised Absence: Time off work without prior approval or valid reason.
Trigger Points: Pre-set absence thresholds (e.g., number of absences or days off) that prompt HR intervention or review.
Return to Work Meeting: A discussion between the line manager and employee upon their return to work to understand the absence and agree on any necessary support.
Reasonable Adjustments: Changes made to the workplace or work arrangements to support an employee’s health and wellbeing.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential support services provided to employees for personal or work-related issues that may affect attendance.
HR and line managers can approve or submit absences on the system as soon as they receive word from an unwell person, from any connected device. Breathe’s straightforward dashboards let you know who’s reported sick, who authorised the absence, and who’s out of the office – all at a glance.
Absence can be a significant cost for your business, so dealing with it proactively is a must. The insights and reports that Breathe provides will let you detect problems before they develop. And, thanks to our automatic Bradford Factor score generator, you’ll be aware of whose absence could become an issue.
74% of Breathe users agree - Breathe’s HR software has significantly reduced the time our team spends on HR administrative tasks, allowing us to focus on more strategic work.
- Breathe HR 2025 customer survey.
Simplifying your sickness and absence management with Breathe lets you focus instead on your teams wellness. Breathe’s system enables better communication with your people, allowing you to keep up with their progress and arrange one-to-ones to give them the support they need to thrive.
If you can get online, you can access your HR and personnel data – easily and securely.
Easily monitor absences and sickness with the manager dashboard, central calendar and reports functionality.
What is absence management?
Absence management is a vital part of HR that involves monitoring and handling employee sickness and time off to ensure minimal disruption to your organisation. It helps employers keep track of absence levels, identify patterns or underlying causes, and provide appropriate support to staff members.
With Breathe HR, absence management becomes straightforward - our system gives you complete visibility over employee absence, enabling early intervention and effective communication. This means you can support your team with reasonable adjustments, maintain employee morale, and promote a healthy working environment, all while reducing administrative burdens. Effective absence management isn’t just about keeping records; it’s about caring for your people and helping them return to work smoothly, ensuring your organisation runs efficiently.
How does the return to work process work?
The return to work process is a crucial step in supporting your employees after a period of sickness absence. With Breathe HR, this process is straightforward and designed to help both managers and staff feel confident and supported.
Early Contact
As soon as you are aware that an employee is ready to return, it’s important to make regular contact during their absence. This helps to show you care and allows you to discuss any support they might need.
Return to Work Meeting
On the employee’s first day back, or soon after, arrange a return to work meeting. This informal chat helps to understand the employee’s illness, any ongoing issues, and discuss reasonable adjustments or phased return plans if necessary.
Review and Record
Use Breathe HR to document the meeting and any agreed actions. Keeping accurate records ensures transparency and helps monitor trends in sickness absence.
Providing Support
Offer the appropriate support required to help the employee settle back in. This could include flexible working arrangements or adjustments to workload to maintain a good work-life balance.
Follow-up
Schedule review meetings to check on the employee’s progress and wellbeing. This ongoing support can prevent further absence and promote a positive workplace culture.
By following these steps, you can manage return to work smoothly, ensuring your staff feel valued and supported while maintaining effective absence management for your organisation.
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