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As a manager, how should you follow up on sick leave among employees who are parents of young children?

4human - sick leave follow-up

Blog series: How to simplify and improve your workday

Picture of Øyvind Johansen

Øyvind Johansen

Senior business developer

Managing sick leave is a challenging task for managers, and it becomes even more complex when employees are parents of young children. Parents of young children are often balancing work, childcare and their own health challenges. As a manager, it's your job to support them through sick leave and encourage a healthy work-life balance. In this blog post, we'll explore what you should do to manage sickness absence among employees who are parents of young children in an empathetic and effective way.

  1. Communicate early and often

The first key to managing sick leave for parents of young children is to establish good communication. As soon as you learn that an employee is sick, you should reach out to show care and offer support. This will help build trust and create a safe atmosphere for employees.

  1. Respect your privacy

It's important to respect the privacy of your employees when handling sick leave. At the same time, make sure you're aware of any legal requirements and rights that apply to sick leave documentation and reporting.

  1. Flexibility in work tasks and hours

Parents of young children may have different needs when it comes to working hours and tasks. Consider offering flexibility, such as the ability to adjust working hours or work partly from home. This can help ease the strain on them and give them the opportunity to balance caring responsibilities and work.

  1. Offer of support and resources

As a manager, you should offer support and resources for parents of young children who are sick. This can include information about health insurance benefits, access to occupational health services and help coordinating any work arrangements when they are ready to return to work.

  1. Clear sick leave policy

Make sure your organization has a clear sickness absence and accommodation policy that describes procedures for reporting sickness, requirements for medical certificates and the rights and obligations of both employer and employee. This provides clarity and predictability in the handling of sick leave.

  1. Presence and support in the workplace

Show support and understanding when employees return to work after sick leave. There may be transitional periods where they need to readjust and it's important to give them the support they need. This can include understanding that they may not be able to work as many hours at first, or that they need flexibility in their work tasks.

  1. Evaluation and customization

Each sick leave scenario is unique and you may need to customize your approach based on the individual needs of the employee. Evaluate and customize your processes based on the experiences and feedback of parents of young children who have been through sick leave.

Managing sick leave for parents of young children requires a balance between caring and business needs. By following these guidelines and showing compassion and flexibility, you as a manager can help create a supportive and inclusive work culture. This will not only help employees cope better with sick leave, but it will also help retain valuable talent in the organization in the long term.

If your employees need immediate medical assistance, you can activate the service The health phone service in collaboration with Volvat as an add-on module in 4human HRM that you can call at any time, about anything related to illness and health. Together with the sickness absence follow-up module in the HRM system, you as a manager can have full control of sickness absence.

Download the guide on 7 things that slow down your business when you don't follow up on sick leaveand understand how to manage the challenges that come with it.

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What should a follow-up plan look like for sick employees?

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Blog series: How to simplify and improve your workday

Øyvind Johansen

Senior business developer
A crucial factor in the effective management of sick leave is the development of a good follow-up plan for your sick employees. Such a plan provides guidance and structure to ensure that employees on sick leave receive the right support and that the organization meets its obligations. Here is an overview of what a follow-up plan should contain.

1. Identification and registration of sick leave

The first step in an effective sickness absence management plan is to establish a system for identifying and recording sickness absence. This can include a clear procedure for employees reporting their illness, either via a digital system (HRM system), email or phone. All documentation should be carefully collected and recorded.

2. First contact and confirmation

As soon as you are aware of a case of sick leave, you should contact the employee on sick leave to confirm the absence. This step is important to show care and understanding. You can ask for necessary documentation, such as medical certificates, and provide information about your organization's sick leave procedures.

3. Establish clear lines of communication

An effective follow-up plan should include clear guidelines for communication with employees on sick leave. This could include fixed checkpoints for follow-up calls, either by phone, email or face-to-face meeting, depending on what best suits the situation.

4. Facilitation and adaptation of work

Many employees on sick leave will need to adapt their work when they return. This may include adjusting working hours, changing work tasks or offering remote work, depending on the situation. The follow-up plan should include guidelines for how such adaptations should be handled and approved.

5. Collect relevant documentation

Managers should ensure that all necessary documentation is collected and stored in a secure manner. This includes medical certificates, sick notes and any communication that has taken place between the manager and the employee on sick leave.

6. Collaborate with other departments

The follow-up plan should also include measures to collaborate with other departments, such as the occupational health service or the managers of the employee on sick leave. This can help ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to support and facilitation.

7. Evaluate and adapt the plan

Illness situations are unique, and a follow-up plan should be flexible. Evaluate and adapt the plan in line with the employees' needs and changes in the situation.

A well-functioning sickness absence management plan is key to supporting employees on sick leave and maintaining your organization's productivity. By following these steps and ensuring the plan is flexible and tailored to individual needs, you as a manager can help create a supportive work culture and safeguard the interests of both employees and the organization.

Did you know that all sickness notifications can be received directly from NAV/Altinn and directly into 4human in the sickness absence follow-up module in HRM. All follow-up plans are carried out in the system, so you have an overview of all dialog in the solution. All follow-up plans with full history can then be sent to the GP and NAV - digitally.

Download the guide on 7 things that streamline your business with sickness absence managementand understand how to manage the challenges that come with it.

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