Individual Review Level

[Loki]

It is important for members to be aware of what exactly triggers an Attendance Review and what information must be used, to determine whether or not the Attendance Review takes place.

SYA 4.4

The individual review level

* All individuals who have unplanned absence on a contracted shift will have their
   attendance at work measured, this will be referred to as their 'Individual review level'.

* An individual review level is:

   -Their unplanned absence percentage over the last 26 weeks.

   -The number of occasions of unplanned absence in the last 26 weeks.

* Unacceptable attendance at work over a 26 week period would be:

   - An individual absence percentage of 3% or more.

     and/or

   - Three or more occasions of unplanned absence.

* For the Individual review level to be calculated correctly you will need to ensure:

   - all changes to contracted hours are actioned each week by the wages/administration
     clerk.

   - all exceptions/absences are correctly coded.

* For new starters you should assume 26 weeks service when calculating the individual
   review level

* A calculation tool is provided on the reverse of the Welcome Back Meeting Form
   to help you calculate the review level.

SYA 4.6

Identify the number of occasions of unplanned absence over the twenty six week rolling period:

* For these absences a Welcome Back Meeting will have been held - the personal file
   should be reviewed and the number of absences on a contracted shift that have
   resulted in a Welcome Back Meeting are calculated. Examples of these are:

   - Absences due to domestic issues that have been agreed as shift swap, move day
     off work time back at a later date to provide a paid option. Absences taken as
     unpaid.

   - Absences due to domestic that have been agreed as unplanned holiday and may
     not have been picked up in the individual's absence percentage.

* This will give you the number of occasions of absence in the twenty six week rolling
   period.
   Example:

   - Individual has two periods of absence in twenty six weeks due to sickness.
   
   - Individual has a current absence due to domestic, which was given as an
     unplanned holiday (H400).

   - The absence percentage is 2.5% (coded S100).

   - The personal file has two Welcome Back Meeting forms for the two periods of
     sickness - two occasions - the current absence will mean that the individual has
     had three occasions of absence (three Welcome Back Meeting forms).

   - This individual would have an Attendance Review Investigation based on the
     number of occasions not the percentage.

Calculating the individual review level for flexi workers

* When calculating the individual review level for ?exi workers you should use the total
   hours an individual has worked over the 26 week period as the contracted hours
   figure.

* When calculating the absence hours you should only use absences on their core
   contracted hours.

* You would hold a Welcome Back Meeting following any absence on an additional hours
   shift, to check the individual is ?t to return to work - however, you would not calculate
   the individual review level or refer the individual to an Attendance Review
   Investigation Meeting.

SYA 4.7

Part day sickness and the individual review level

* Some individuals may go home sick part way through their shift.The resulting absence
   (remainder of shift) would be coded as PA100  when the exception is generated.

* The absence would count as an occasion of absence and the PA100 hours would be
   included in the absence percentage calculation.

* The PAl00 code is used as we are unable to use the S (sickness) code for absences of
   less than one day.

SYA 4.8

Identify the number of occasions of unplanned absence over the twenty six week rolling period

* Absences due to domestic issues that have been agreed as shift swap, move day off
   or work time back at a later date to provide a paid option. Absences that have been
   taken as unpaid.

* Absences due to domestic that have been agreed as unplanned holiday.

* For these absences a Welcome Back Meeting will have been held - the personal ?le
   should be reviewed and the number of absences on a contracted shift that have
   resulted in a Welcome Back Meeting are calculated.

* This will give you the number of occasions of absence in the twenty six week rolling
   period. Example:

   - Individual has two periods of absence in twenty six weeks due to sickness.

   - Individual has a current absence due to domestic, which was given as an
     unplanned holiday.

   - The absence % is calculated as 2.5% (this is the two sickness absences calculated
     as above).

   - The personal file has two Welcome Back Meeting forms for the two periods of 
     sickness  - the current absence will mean that the individual has had three
     occasions of absence. (Three Welcome Back Meeting forms).

* This individual would have an attendance review investigation based on the number of
   occasions, not the percentage.

SYA 5.3

After the Welcome Back Meeting all individuals over the review level should attend an Attendance Review Investigation Meeting.

* This Meeting is a formal investigatory meeting and is to be held within the seven days,
   following the individual's return to work, or ideally 24-48 hours of return, following a
   period of prolonged absence. If the meeting is not completed within the seven days it
   will be classed as outstanding.

* Meetings that become outstanding should always be completed as soon as possible.
   Any disciplinary action that is identified may not be taken on this occasion, unless the
   individual had agreed to the meeting being planned for completion outside of the
   timescales.

NB

(SYA 5.4) The calculation for the absence percentage over the last twenty six weeks (current absence history) are taken from the Welcome Back Meeting form(s).

It is important to remember that any absence that has not resulted in the completion of a Welcome Back Meeting form, are not included within an individual's absence percentage.



Addendum:

The Welcome Back Meeting has to be completed before the AR. The AR cannot be conducted without the completed Welcome Back Form regardless of what printouts are produced as these are not reliable. The Welcome Back Meeting is part of the SYA process and must be adhered to.

"Red tape" can be used to the advantage of the individual concerned. In simplified terms: No Welcome Back Meeting = No absence. Should this 'absence' be brought up at future ARs, then the same answer applies: No Welcome Back Meeting = No absence.

When preparing a case, always check for the completed Welcome Back Form which must be completed correctly (otherwise grounds for appeal). If there is no Welcome Back Form, then the AR does not go ahead. This has happened on numerous occasions, after much debate with a PM who had to agree, albeit a mere technicality. Red tape is red tape.

Use their rules to your advantage.




Related article(s):

SYA (Access to information/files/records)(Mitigating Circumstances)
Informals
Escalating Warnings & Expired Warnings