Sickness Absence Policy - June 2025

1. Introduction

Our values underpin and guide the way we work, the way we improve and the way we make decisions to support the community that we serve. We (Carmarthenshire County Council) and you (our employees) are all required to consider how we support and apply these values, so they actively underpin the principles of the Sickness Absence Policy.

Please see link to Our Core Values One Council – Our Core Values and Behaviours

There is much research to demonstrate that attendance at work contributes to positive health and wellbeing. We aim to support you by providing a safe and healthy workplace and promoting a culture where regular attendance can be expected of you and your colleagues. Absence from work is unlikely to be a positive experience so we will actively manage and support you if you experience ill health during your employment.

We understand that you may have a health condition or injury that means you are not fit for work and that you will need time to rest and recover. By implementing this policy, we aim to strike a reasonable balance between your need to take time off to rest and recuperate, our operational needs to ensure service continuity and the impact of your absence on your colleagues.

This policy is formulated on the assumption that all sickness absence is genuine and will be managed on this basis. If procedures are not followed or we suspect there to be misconduct we may cease to pay statutory or occupational sick pay; consider progressing through the sickness absence procedure based on the information available and/or take disciplinary action, as appropriate if there is evidence that:

• absence is not genuine or not for the reason provided;
• you are undertaking inappropriate activities while off sick, such as undertaking paid or unpaid work or participating in activities that would exacerbate your ill-health; or
• correct sickness absence notification, certification and procedure has not been followed.