When implementing a sick leave policy, it’s important to communicate that people shouldn’t feel obligated to work when they are sick. Oftentimes, employees can feel guilty when taking sick leave, and come into work when they are sick which exposes other people to their germs. This can lead to more people having to take sick leave because they contracted whatever illness they were originally exposed to by their coworker. Let employees know they have a certain amount of time for sick leave and they should use it when they are too sick to work without feeling guilty.
The best practice here is to look at what is standard among organizations and make yours better. Companies today look for anyway to cut their employees pay, make them work longer and lower their benefits in order to simply save money. My simple suggestion is to be better than that. Make your sick leave policy better and an actual benefit you can be proud of. The easiest way to do this is to offer more sick time and allow it to roll over and accumulate. This lets employees bank time so they can use it for life events and emergencies. This also allows your more tenured employees to take a sabbatical if they choose to alleviate them from burning out. This allows employees to feel safe and to plan if they have something come up. Most people live paycheck to paycheck and taking leave or FMLA is simply not a financial option. Giving employees freedom of accruing sick time and using it how they want to is a wonderful benefit that most organizations have phased out. So, be better.
Advocating for our health and wellbeing at work can bring on additional stress or anxiety, so a sick leave policy should include a clear and easy process for employees to inform the employer without having to require sharing too many personal medical details. Especially in cases when work performance will potentially suffer due to a personal illness or struggle with mental wellbeing, it is in everyone’s best interest to know the communication process and how to access available resources, and if it might be an option to modify work hours or take a medical leave of absence through FMLA. Companies are invested in their teams’ health and employment longevity, so physical and mental health resources like an EAP may already be available. Help employees take well-informed next steps through a clear sick leave process so they know who to contact to keep their health the priority.
You can reshape your sick leave policy to reflect the times. For instance, some employees may be too sick to come into the office but not sick enough to not work. If an employee can perform their job functions from home all the while keeping clear of other employees in good health, let them do so. On the other hand, we've recently learned the importance of taking health and wellness seriously, so shifting your policies to make room for life's unexpected twists and turns will have your employees feeling less anxious and more appreciated.
It is important that a sick leave policy has a balance between empathy and solid legal practices. Allow the people leaders to have some flexibility and accommodations for their employees when appropriate. Some companies write a strict and legalistic sick leave policy for the 1 or 2 employees who abused it in the past. Most employees have a valid reason for sick leave and there may be significant emotional stress that goes along with it. Having a very strict and narrow sick leave policy when you routinely ask employees to work extra hours on evenings and weekends can be counter-productive to employee engagement and loyalty.
Having a written sick leave policy for your employees is essential. It is necessary to decide what an employee can do to report to work when they fall ill or have a family emergency. Make sure your sick leave policy is clear, detailed, and fair. You can have an unlimited amount of sick leave; however, you should cap the amount of paid sick leave to five or seven days. It would be best if you had a clear understanding with your employees regarding their job duties to be clear on what they are required to do and what they can do in their place. Most importantly, you should be clear on the kind of leave you offer. There are several types of rest that you can provide to your employees like family medical leave and enterprise medical leave. You must be flexible with your sick leave policy. Most employers choose to give their employees a fair amount of sick leave that can be used unless there is an urgent need for a replacement.
The reality of running a business is that members of your workforce are going to get sick. That reality was felt hard during the covid-19 pandemic. At a minimum, businesses should offer five, but at least three, sick days per year with this in mind. Structuring it so that workers can take half sick days is also a good idea because sometimes employees are stricken with some type of illness while in the office or on a job site. Workers often want the option of not having to burn a full sick day whenever possible. Employees will appreciate a strong yet flexible sick policy, one that offers a reasonable amount of paid leave.
One best practice for a sick leave policy is to offer flexibility where possible. Flexible policies can help reduce the spread of illness in the workplace, and they can also make it easier for employees who are sick to take the time they need to recover.
Co-Founder & CEO at Hoist
Answered 4 years ago
Don’t require employees to prove their illness. Sometimes, employers treat workers like students and require either a doctor’s note or some other evidence that they were too sick to work. But that practice is a great way to insult your workers, and it leads to employee resentment. Your employees are adults–and even if you’re skeptical of the veracity of their illness–leave it be and let them take off. You don’t want the cure to be worse than the sickness–and an unhealthy and resentful work environment is far worse than an employee being untruthful.
The best practice for relocation policies is by making it as flexible as possible by having funds allocated for relocation. Ensure that the planned budget is well structured to allow relocating to any location possible. In addition, always ensure every team member is on board with relocation to stop delays that may incur extra costs