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Westminster City Council's successful absence management

Savings of £800,000 a year are being achieved by Westminster City Council's revised approach to absence management, supported by training for line managers, occupational health advice and an employee assistance programme.

On this page:
Taking the decision to tackle absence
Rolling out the new absence policy
The introduction of absence trigger points
Return-to-work interviews
The enhanced sickness management procedure
Long-term sickness absence management
The role of the occupational health service
Monitoring
Employee assistance programme
What’s next?
Organisation profile
Resources

Key points

  • Westminster City Council's improved absence management procedures have reduced its absence rate by more than two days per person per annum and saved it £800,000 annually.
  • It ensured it gained buy-in from managers and trade unions to a revised absence policy, backed up with training for line managers, and simultaneously introduced an employee assistance programme.
  • The policy involves return-to-work interviews, the use of absence triggers linked to formal management reviews of absences, referrals to occupational health specialists, and a case-management approach for long-term absences.

Westminster City Council has seen its workforce's sickness absence levels fall by just over two days per employee per year and saved in the region of £800,000 in 2006 as a result.