Effective Absence Management - minimising the employment law risks

Speaker(s):

Roger Bull, Partner, Burges Salmon

Roger has been a partner at Burges Salmon since 2003, having trained at the firm. He deals with the full range of employment law related matters for employers in both the private and public sectors. This includes significant levels of advice on the management of ill-health issues and disability discrimination within the workplace as well as negotiating executive severance packages and providing strategic advice on complex employment projects.

Luke Bowery, Senior Associate, Burges Salmon

Luke joined Burges Salmon as a trainee solicitor in September 2002 and qualified into the employment team in September 2004. Luke advises clients on all aspects of employment law and specialises in advising on and defending tribunal proceedings, absence management, redundancies and restructuring, advising clients on the employment aspects of corporate and commercial transactions and industrial action and trade union issues.

Catharine Cooksley, Associate, Burges Salmon

Catharine joined Burges Salmon as a trainee solicitor in September 2004 and qualified into the employment team in September 2006. Catharine advises on the full range of employment issues including disciplinary, capability and discriminatory issues and negotiating employee exits at all levels of seniority.

Event details:

Time off work due to ill-health is a very common problem that employers face. The costs involved are significant, not only in relation to loss of productivity but the additional costs of recruiting temporary staff, paying overtime and the impact on the rest of the team also need to be considered. In addition, the legal consequences of failing to handle absenteeism correctly can lead to employees bringing claims.

At this session, employment law specialists from commercial law firm Burges Salmon, will be discussing how to manage absence effectively within your workforce to minimise exposure to legal claims.

• Short-term absenteeism
  - legal issues;
  - dealing with malingerers;
  - suggested procedure.
  
  
• Long-term sickness
  - legal issues;
  - suggested procedure.
  
  
• Access to medical records
  - obtaining medical information
  
  
• Avoiding disability discrimination
  - issues to consider;
  - making reasonable adjustments;
  - recent changes to the legislation.
  
  
• Stress at work
  - employer's duties.
  
  
• Terminating employment
  - legal issues;
  - permanent health insurance issues.
  

For more information:

• Email Central London Branch Administrator  

Contact phone number 07847 857111