Addressing the challenge of fake sickness

How to address suspected absence mishandling

Understand the scope of the problem

Summer brings not just legitimate absences but also the challenge of dealing with employees who might take advantage of the season to take unsanctioned time off by faking illness.

Handling ‘revenge’ sickness

Some employees may request annual leave for a holiday, get refused, and then book the holiday anyway.

If an employee is refused a holiday request and subsequently takes the time off as sick leave, this can be a serious misconduct issue. Depending on your policies and available evidence, this could lead to dismissal for gross misconduct.

You should seek legal guidance to ensure compliance and fairness when handling such cases.

Key insight

Employees might post about their holiday plans on social media after having their holiday request declined.

In such cases, you can write to them stating you’ve seen the post and, if they take the week off without authorisation, it may be treated as gross misconduct. This is not a threat but a necessary compliance measure to ensure that all employees adhere to company policies.

Honesty and procedures

Create a culture of honesty

Fostering a workplace culture where honesty and transparency are valued can help in reducing the temptation to misuse sick leave.

Encourage open communication and provide employees with a safe space to discuss their need for time off. This approach can help in building trust and reducing the likelihood of faked absences.

Implement and reinforce verification procedures

Introduce or reinforce verification procedures for sick leave, such as requiring a doctor’s note for absences longer than a certain number of days or implementing and upholding return-to-work interviews.

These measures can act as a deterrent for those considering faking illness. Make sure these procedures are communicated clearly to all employees to ensure understanding and compliance.

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Analytics and support

Use your data and analytics

Leverage your HR analytics tools to monitor patterns of absence that might indicate faking. For example, frequent short-term absences on Mondays or Fridays could suggest that an employee is using sick leave to extend their weekends.

By identifying these patterns early, you can address the issue directly with the employee and discuss their attendance record.

Provide alternatives and support

Sometimes, employees’ resort to faking sick leave because they feel they have no other options for taking time off. Providing alternatives, such as mental health days or personal leave, can offer employees legitimate ways to take time off when needed.

Additionally, offering support for work-life balance and mental health can help in reducing the desire to take unsanctioned time off.