IRS Conference: Managing Absence and Attendance

5th November 2008, Cavendish Conference Centre, London

Wednesday 5 November 2008

9:00	Registration and Coffee
9:30	Chair's opening remarks Geoff Davies, Chairman, Lacon OH Consultancy
9:40	Sickness Absence - an issue for management Understanding different types of sickness absence Barriers to a return to work Effective management of sickness absence Taking control of sickness absence Dr Lucy Wright, Director of clinical services, Atos Healthcare
10:25	Case study: How Royal Mail has set the standard for other employers in managing absence Empowering line managers to improve attendance record-keeping Training managers on attendance and sickness absence How the company raised awareness of its health and wellbeing services Getting results from early intervention and return to work programmes Dr Su Wang , Group head of health, Royal Mail Group
11:10	Tea & Coffee
11:30	The law and sickness absence management Update of the law and case law related to sickness absence What to consider when taking disciplinary action or dismissing an employee for reasons relating to sickness absence The employers’ responsibility for employees when they return to work after sick leave How to deal with poor performers who go off sick during a performance management process. Contractual sick pay and PHI: what to do when you believe your employees are playing the system. Nick Dent, Partner, Barlow Lyde and Gilbert
12:15	Case study: Heart of England Foundation NHS Trust The background history at the trust The importance of Dame Carol Blacks review of the health of the working age Achieving the board level buy in for How services were audited The development of an integrated strategy Implementing changes and developing new initiatives, including a case management unit The results Mark Holt-Rogers, Director, Wellbeing4business Mary Brassington, Occupational health manager, , Heart of England NHS Foundation

13:00	Lunch & Networking
14:00	How to be an intelligent customer when buying an occupational health or absence management service How do you plan before you go out to tender? How do you ensure you get the right service for your needs? How to ensure you get what you were promised Dr Geoff Davies, Chairman , Lacon Occupational Health Consultancy
14:45	The role of vocational rehabilitation services in reducing sickness absence Overview of ground-breaking new research commissioned by the government How to introduce a stepped approach to rehabilitation and return to work How HR and occupational health practitioners can apply these findings in the workplace in the workplace Joy Reymond , Head of rehabilitation services , Unum
15:30	Tea & Coffee
15:50	Case Study, Network Rail Managing Health and absence in a safety critical environment Network rail as a safety critical organisation – specific challenges and constraints for consideration Company’s approach to absence management – working in partnership between HR, Line management, Occupational Health and medical providers Total employee well-being – support services, health surveillance and programmes and healthcare schemes for employees Michelle Shields, HR Manager, Network Rail
16:30	Chair's closing remarks
16:40	Close of conference