Publish date: 29 June 2026
Updates to our Supporting Health and Wellbeing (Attendance) Policy
The Trust agreed in late 2025 to align our Supporting Health and Wellbeing (Attendance) Policy (HR07) to an agreed NHS Cheshire & Merseyside policy. The policy was reviewed in November 2025, and some changes were also agreed by the HR Policy Group, which require updates to Empactis (HR Case Manager) system. These changes to the policy were agreed by the HR Policy group.
These updates have now been completed and will go live on 1 July 2026.
The changes are as set out in the below table:
|
Sickness process: |
Current triggers: |
New indicators: |
|
Return to work |
2 days |
Within 5 working days of return |
|
Short Term Absence |
1 day to 4 weeks |
1 days to 20 days |
|
Long Term Absence |
4 weeks onwards |
21 days onwards |
|
Short Terms Stage 1 |
3 occasions and 10 cumulative days |
3 occasions and 8 cumulative days |
|
Short Term Stage 2 |
2 occasions and 7 cumulative days |
3 occasions and 8 cumulative days |
|
Short Term Stage 3 |
2 occasions and 7 cumulative days |
3 occasions and 8 cumulative days |
|
Long Term Stage 1 |
4 weeks from the start of the absence |
21 days from the start of the absence |
|
Long Term Stage 2 |
3 to 5 months from the start of the absence |
3 months from the start of the absence |
|
Long Term Stage 3 |
7 months from the start of the absence |
6 months from the start of the absence |
For colleagues who are already at a stage of the process, or who already have dates set for when an indicator will be reached, there will be no change to these dates. Only new absences that reach an indicator after 1 July will follow the new process.