Sickness and Absence Monitoring

Gain invaluable insights with advanced absence tracking

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Complete visibility over
employee sickness trends

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.

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Employee Wellbeing in Absence Management

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.

Types of Absences

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. 

Breathe's HR software interface showing an employees sickness, absence, and bradford factor information

Common Terms in Absence Management

  • 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.

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An absence overview at a glance

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.

Insights in an instant

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.

Breathe's HR software interface showing an employees sickness trends over the past year in a pie chart with a Bradford Factor score pop up

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. 

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Refocus on employee wellbeing

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.

Want to see more of what we offer?

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Centralise employee data

If you can get online, you can access your HR and personnel data – easily and securely.

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Observe absence

Easily monitor absences and sickness with the manager dashboard, central calendar and reports functionality.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is absence management?

  • How does the return to work process work?

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