Sickness Hoax Costs Business ￡1000’s In Sick Pay
A recent report from the Gainsborough Standard states that a former energy firm employee cost her employer ￡15,000 due to a hoax claiming she had stage four Metastatic Osteosarcoma (a form of cancer). Utilising social media to ‘reveal’ her condition she would fake a whole range of symptoms which led her employers to paying out ￡5,000 for her treatment and a further ￡10,000 in sick pay.
An issue such as this is rare however it’s important for employers to understand and follow strict processes and regulations when it comes to sickness absence within the workplace. Here at aspire cambridge ltd we understand how important following correct procedures and managing sickness absence is to your business and your employees. Our dedicated and experienced HR consultants ensure the understanding of any legal responsibilities , we can advise you every step of the way or actually come into your business and manage the process for you.
According to a recent article in HR Grapevine from June 2017, the new average number of sick days per employee is ‘4.3 days, down from 7.2 days in 1993 when records began’. Absence management is sometimes a difficult and complex area to assess and therefore it could potentially involve many legal issues for employers. Our blog post on ‘Dealing with Sickness Absence’ outlines the correct procedures involved in professionally managing sickness absence.
The employee cancer hoax which cost the energy firm thousands of pounds could have benefited from a better understanding of correct HR procedures in order to fully assess the employees illness. A case such as this is rarely heard of with new research from Aviva stating that employees are three times more likely to go into work than ‘pull a sickie’ however it is an issue that no business can afford to overlook.
At aspire cambridge ltd we understand the challenges faced by employers in relation to sickness absence and can provide your business with a broad range of services from a free HR health check to our pay as you go HR advice line and live chat services.
See how your business could benefit from using our HR services and call us today on 01223 855441.