PROTECT THE BUSINESS, SUPPORT THE PERSON

Manage sickness absence properly. Without ending up at tribunal.

Short-term absence triggers, long-term sickness reviews, occupational health referrals, phased returns, and (where it cannot be avoided) ill-health capability dismissal. Fair, lawful, documented.

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What this is

Sickness is the single most common reason SMEs come to us. Someone has been off for weeks. SSP is running. Cover is stretched. You do not know whether you can act, and you definitely do not want a disability discrimination claim.

We give you the policy, the process and the experienced hand. Sometimes the answer is patience and an OH referral. Sometimes it is a fair capability process. We tell you which, on the evidence, not on a guess.

Who this is for

  • An employee has been off for several weeks and you are not sure what to do
  • Your Bradford Factor scores are flagging but you have never had a process
  • You need an absence policy that actually works for your team
  • You are dealing with a return to work and do not know what reasonable adjustments to make
  • You suspect ill-health capability is the right route but want a second opinion

How we help

The structured absence response

From day one of the absence through to a fair outcome, with the right escalation at each stage.

01

Stay in touch

Weekly check-ins, documented contact log, fit-note management. The bit most SMEs forget that wins or loses the case later.

02

Get the medical picture

Occupational health referral with the right questions. So you are deciding on evidence, not gut feel.

03

Decide fairly

Phased return with reasonable adjustments, capability process, or in the worst case a fair ill-health dismissal with documented reasoning.

What you get

What you get

A complete absence framework you can hand to any manager, plus on-call support for the difficult individual cases.

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  • ✓ Bespoke absence policy and reporting process
  • ✓ Return-to-work form and conversation script
  • ✓ OH referral template with the right questions
  • ✓ Formal absence stage letters (informal, written, final)
  • ✓ Phased return plan template
  • ✓ Bradford Factor calculator access

Why fix this now

Dismissing someone for long-term sickness without an OH report and a fair process is the single most common mistake we see at SME tribunal claims.

£115k

Max unfair dismissal compensation

Statutory cap, April 2026.

£8-15k

Typical legal defence cost

Whether you win or lose.

12-18

Months to a tribunal hearing

Backlog at most regional ETs.

Got a live absence case? Let’s talk.

Book a free call. We will tell you the next right step.

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