The improved reporting process is now live

Following a successful pilot, all staff can now record sickness absence in a simpler and more efficient way. The new feature enables individuals to record the reason for their sickness within the Flexileave system.

Benefits of the change

This is a move away from the previous slow, manual process and aims to enhance privacy, improve data quality and create a standard approach. (Here’s a reminder of the practical benefits of the new approach).

Understanding the reason for your sick leave is also important part of your line manager being able to provide you with the support you need. Having a clear and consistent record of absence reasons helps us to identify patterns and trends in sickness across the University, so we can better support your wellbeing and provide a safe working environment for colleagues.

What’s changed?

• If you are off sick, notify your line manager in the usual way, but instead of using a sickness absence form to formally record the absence - you must now record your sickness absence in the Flexileave system.
• You do this by booking leave and using the ‘sick leave’ option. You can find guidance for booking leave on the webpages.
• Once you have selected ‘request leave’, you’ll be prompted to select a reason from a dropdown list. It is important to include the reason for your sickness absence to ensure you are provided with the right support.
• Either you or your manager can select the reason. You can see the reason, and you can amend it for up to 90 days after you return to work.
• Guidance on Recording Sickness Reasons is available on the wiki.*
• Fit notes cannot be uploaded to the Flexileave system, they should still be sent to your line manager. Your line manager should input the details onto the system and forward the note onto payroll.

Here’s some additional faqs to guide you on the improved approach.

Further improvements and support around sickness absence

The improvements to sickness absence reporting are just one of the benefits you will start to see as a result of the HR & Finance Transformation Programme. As part of this work we have also streamlined and improved the sickness absence policy. The key change being the phased return to work, which now supports colleagues with up to 6 weeks of full pay as they transition back to work. Read more about the revised sickness absence policy.

* To view the wiki page, please ensure you are logged into the wiki system. Please note, the wiki may require you to request access to this page - if the page does not then load, exit the browser window and then reopen this link, and this should resolve access issues.