Avoiding accusations of sick leave discrimination

Amidst a backdrop of unprecedented austerity, job uncertainty remains a major concern for numerous business owners and their employees. Redundancies have already been a sad fact of life in many organisations. They are naturally painful ordeals for struggling business owners obliged to bring the axe down on staff members, and those at the receiving end. However, when faced with worst case scenarios, it is essential that business owners and their HR payroll representatives keep clear heads despite the often challenging and emotional circumstances they face.

Attendance records might influence their decisions about who stays and who sadly departs. Yet business owners and HR payroll teams are advised to take necessary precautions to safeguard themselves against accusations of discrimination due to sick leave. It might be all too tempting for businesses to jump to the conclusion that a staff member who has had a lot of time off work due to illness puts additional unwanted strain on already overstretched resources. However, sick leave does not represent a licit reason in its own right for a worker to be put in the firing line.

It is of imperative importance that business owners do not confuse genuine sick leave with unsatisfactory attendance, and many businesses have come unstuck when being unable to make the differentiation. As employment law continues to become more complex and sophisticated, many businesses acknowledge that they are unable to keep on top of what is legally expected of them without professional help. The many businesses that enlist external HR payroll services find expert advice and practical support invaluable.

We, at Moorepay, provide affordable outsourced HR payroll support to businesses across a broad range of sectors and sizes. When staff attendance records are analysed for disciplinary or redundancy purposes, we have the up to date experience and knowledge to ensure that staff are not unfairly discriminated against.

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