Rethinking Sickness Absence: From Managing Cases to Restoring Working Lives

Behind every sickness absence figure is a person, a team, and a set of circumstances that a policy alone cannot resolve. How can employers respond to ill health with compassion while addressing the impact of absence on colleagues, capacity, and organisational performance? This session explores how organisations across sectors can move beyond monitoring absence towards a coordinated approach to prevention, early intervention, manager support, and sustainable return to work. Drawing on experience of leading regional occupational health and wellbeing services and implementing a collaborative absence recovery programme in a large, complex organisation, Nicola will examine what it takes to turn intention into action. Through practical examples and audience discussion, she will explore shared responsibility between leaders, managers, HR and occupational health and wellbeing professionals; support for people managing health conditions; timely workplace adjustments; and the barriers that can leave employees caught between services. Delegates will leave with practical priorities for their own organisations and a broader view of success: restored working capacity, sustained employment and a better experience for their staff.