Expert Absent Employee Investigations in the UK
March 5, 2024 - Reading time: 5 minutes
Ideally, employee absenteeism would be nonexistent. However, in reality, both large and small businesses must contend with employees missing work. Individuals may be absent for a myriad of reasons, with common legitimate causes including sickness, mental health issues, or the loss of a loved one.
While a compassionate employer understands the occasional need for an employee’s absence, there exists the possibility of some exploiting these provisions for sick and compassionate leave. Should there be doubts about the authenticity of an employee's stated reasons for not being present, it's appropriate to initiate an investigation into the employee’s absence.
What is Employee Absenteeism?
Absenteeism refers to the habitual or prolonged nonattendance at work without a valid explanation. The Office for National Statistics noted that absenteeism rates hit record lows in 2020, a trend presumed to be caused by the increase of remote working due to the pandemic.
More recently in 2023, the CIPD reported that the average UK employee was absent from their workplace for 7.8 days per year; marking "the highest levels of employee absenteeism reported by them in over a decade".
Legitimate Absence Causes
While UK employment laws leave some room for interpretation, fair judgment is expected in accepting employee absences. Legally, workers are allowed to take leave for illness, family caretaking, and mourning. Some individuals may exploit these rights, falsely claiming these reasons to justify absences.
Absenteeism manifests as illegitimate claims of illness, fabricating a death in the family or dependence, or other misrepresentations of personal issues that may not truly necessitate time away from work.
A Compassionate Approach to Verification
Asking for legal documentation like a death certificate to validate an absence may feel intrusive, especially if the employee is indeed facing personal turmoil. Rather than demanding proof and possibly risking the employee's position, an employer might seek a different method to verify the legitimacy of an absence.
Engaging a private investigator to carry out a workplace investigation offers a discreet solution to verify if an employee’s leave is warranted. Through covert surveillance, a PI can confirm whether an employee's activities during their leave align with their claims. If the suspicions prove baseless, the employee's return to work can occur without them being any the wiser.
Gathering Evidence of an Absent Employee
Unjustified employee nonattendance has the potential to cause disruption and financial damage to many small and medium sized businesses. If you suspect that your employee could be fabricating their justification for not attending work by faking an illness or otherwise, then in many cases a private investigator will be able to check on the employee's activities while gathering evidence.
Confronting an employee about their absenteeism without solid proof can often turn into a "he said she said" type scenario, with the employee's word being used against the employer's suspicion that they are being dishonest. In order to break that stalemate, evidence gathered by private investigators can prove vital.
Handling Confirmed Absenteeism
Discovering that an employee’s absence is unjustified poses the question of the subsequent steps to take. Even with concrete evidence, employees may dispute your findings. It's critical to proceed fairly and avoid wrongful termination. Consult with HR professionals or an independent HR consultant with the investigation results to confirm there are grounds for dismissal.
Minimising Absenteeism
Making it known that company investigations may include monitoring could dissuade potential dishonest employees. Additionally, cultivating a healthy office environment encourages employees to be honest about their absence needs. Direct communication regarding leave entitlements, along with incentives for consistent attendance, will likely reduce absenteeism. Other strategies to consider are:
- Providing paid leave for medical appointments
- Offering more paid time off than the statutory requirement
- Allowing flexible work schedules
- Enhancing work conditions
PrivateInvestigators-UK is a leading UK based private detective agency. We offer free, no pressure quotes for all work. Please visit our home page for more information or to get in touch with us.
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