Supporting Attendance & Wellbeing – Stage 3

STAGE 3

Stage 3 Attendance Review Meeting

If a decision is made to commence Stage 3, the Stage 3 Attendance Review Meeting immediately follows the Stage 2 outcome meeting. The manager must review and, if necessary, amend the attendance improvement plan and will set a further period of review at Stage 3. The duration of this further review is at the manager’s discretion;
however, it is recommended that this is no more than 12 weeks and can be for a shorter period where the medical evidence suggests that the employee is unlikely to be able to improve their attendance within a reasonable timescale.

At the end of the Stage 3 review period, a report will be prepared by the manager who has managed the employee’s absence(s). It is important that the management report provides evidence of the contact with the employee regarding their attendance and any support provided to the employee to improve their attendance. The manager should forward the completed report to their Chief Officer, for arranging a Capability/Conduct Assessment Meeting.

The employee will be invited to a Capability/Conduct Assessment Meeting at the end of the Stage 3 review period. Where absence relates to an underlying medical condition, the manager’s report will be a Capability Report and the employee will be invited to a Capability Assessment Meeting.

Where absence does not relate to an underlying medical condition the manager’s report will be a Conduct Report and the employee will be invited to a Conduct Assessment Meeting.

Stage 3 Capability / Conduct Assessment Meeting.

The employee should be given at least 5 working days’ notice of the meeting in
writing and a copy of the manager’s report.

The meeting will be attended by;

• The Chair of the meeting who must be an independent manager at least at Third Tier level or above (for  Teachers/SNCT employees the Chair will be the Director or nominee)
• The line manager who has managed the absence(s) to date
• The employee
• The employee’s trade union representative or work colleague (where
applicable)
• A People and Organisation Adviser

The purpose of the meeting is to consider whether the required improvement in attendance has been achieved, up to and including the Stage 3 review period and to carefully examine all options, including the likelihood of improved attendance or dismissal on the grounds of lack of capability due to ill health or misconduct due to sustained poor attendance (whichever applies).

At the meeting the employee’s manager will present their report on the employee’s absence, highlighting the measures taken to assist the employee to improve their attendance. The reasons for the absence levels will be discussed as well as the content of the latest medical report (where applicable). The employee will be given the opportunity to provide a full response at the meeting.

There are three potential outcomes to the Stage 3 Capability / Conduct Assessment Meeting;

1. Return to Normal Monitoring
Where the required improvement in attendance has been achieved during the Stage 3 review period, the employee will be informed that their attendance will no longer be subject to regular reviews under the Supporting Attendance and Wellbeing Policy. It should be noted that where an employee is unable to sustain their attendance any point in the next 12 months, the manager has the option to move the employee back into the procedure at the point at which they left i.e. a Capability/Conduct Assessment Meeting at Stage 3 of the Supporting Attendance and Wellbeing procedure.

2. Extend the Review Period
The chair of the Capability/Conduct Assessment Meeting has the discretion to extend the review period if additional information or monitoring is required to inform a decision.

3. Termination of Employment
Where the Chair decides, after considering all available information, to terminate employment, if possible the employee will be informed of this at the meeting, with the decision confirmed in writing along with details of their right of appeal.  The reason for termination of  employment must be clearly communicated to the employee. Where absence relates to an underlying medical condition (Capability Assessment Meeting) employment will be terminated on grounds of lack of capability due to ill health. Where absence does not relate to an underlying
medical condition (Conduct Assessment Meeting) employment will be terminated
on the grounds of misconduct relating to failure to fulfil contractual responsibilities
due to poor attendance.

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