Managing Sickness and Absence

Course Overview

The Managing Sickness and Absence course equips managers and HR professionals with the knowledge and skills to handle employee absence effectively, fairly, and in compliance with Irish employment law. Sickness absence is one of the most significant costs faced by employers, and managing it poorly can lead to legal disputes, reduced morale, and operational disruption.

This CPD-accredited programme covers the key principles of absence management, including how to distinguish between short-term and long-term absence, the importance of return-to-work interviews, and how to implement a fair and consistent absence management policy. The course also addresses the legal framework, including obligations under the Employment Equality Acts and the Unfair Dismissals Acts.

Completable in approximately 30 minutes, this course provides practical tools for reducing absence levels while supporting employee wellbeing. A CPD-accredited certificate is issued upon successful completion.

About This Course

Employee absence, whether due to genuine illness, stress, or other factors, presents significant challenges for employers. The direct costs of sick pay, temporary cover, and lost productivity are well documented, but the indirect costs — including the impact on team morale, workload distribution, and customer service — can be equally damaging.

This course provides a comprehensive framework for managing absence proactively and fairly. It covers how to develop and communicate an absence management policy, how to record and monitor absence patterns, and how to conduct effective return-to-work conversations that support the employee while protecting the interests of the organisation.

The course also addresses the legal considerations that managers must be aware of, including how to handle disability-related absence in line with the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015, the role of occupational health assessments, and when it may be appropriate to move to formal disciplinary procedures. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures is also referenced.

By the end of this course, learners will have a clear understanding of how to manage absence in a way that is both legally compliant and supportive of employee health and wellbeing.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is ideal for managers, supervisors, HR professionals, and business owners who are responsible for managing employee attendance and absence. It is also valuable for anyone involved in developing or implementing absence management policies.