Amanda Arrowsmith, Director of People and Transformation, CIPD

The proposed reforms to statutory sick pay are a positive step towards inclusiveness, ensuring that all employees receive the support they need during their illness. However, they can also present challenges for employers, including the potential increase in sickness absence costs.

To address this, HR professionals must take a proactive and strategic approach. This involves implementing mental health support, robust occupational health services and flexible policies to manage long-term conditions. Regular training for line managers is also crucial, as it enables them to recognize early signs of poor health and engage in meaningful conversations about wellbeing.

It is equally important to combat presenteeism and dismissal: employees work when they are not feeling well or use their leave entitlements inappropriately. These behaviors can mask underlying issues and lead to burnout. Clear policies that encourage employees to rest and recover when needed are essential.

Finally, evaluating well-being initiatives is essential. Tracking results beyond simple sickness absence rates allows organizations to refine their strategies and demonstrate return on investment to senior management. This ensures that investments in wellbeing lead to lasting engagement and productivity improvements.

Learn more: Sick leave up 41% in three years

Ben Daniel, partner at law firm Weightmans

Employers should prepare for the legal and financial implications of proposed changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) under the Employment Rights Bill. The reforms will make PAS more accessible to employees, but could significantly increase costs for employers.

It is essential that HR teams ensure that policies and procedures are up to date and in line with these changes. A proactive approach could include introducing wellbeing initiatives, offering flexible working arrangements and supporting employees with early intervention programs such as workplace health assessments.

Legally, companies must also ensure that absence policies are clear, applied consistently and supported by manager training. By combining compliance and preventative strategies, employers can better manage the costs and risks associated with these reforms.

Cheryl Samuels, Director of Human Resources and Culture at Evelina London Children’s Hospital

HR plays a crucial role in reducing sickness absence by partnering with departments to create inclusive and healthy work cultures. A proactive approach, supported by clear policies and effective management, fosters a supportive environment in which employees feel valued and empowered to maintain their physical and emotional well-being.

Key strategies include promoting work-life balance through regular workload reviews, co-creating solutions with staff, and coaching new and existing managers to spot sick staff and signs of burnout. Proactive absence management is essential, with initiatives such as sickness absence surgeries to review sickness absence cases and the use of data to identify trends and interventions.

Tailored health programs tailored to seasonal needs, such as flu vaccination, as well as basic wellness practices such as encouraging breaks and hydration, support a healthier workforce health. Inclusive programs that meet the diverse needs of a multigenerational workforce ensure that all employees benefit from these initiatives.

Finally, a culture of trust and respect improves employee engagement, loyalty and willingness to communicate when ill.

Learn more: ‘Sick note culture’ is a misdiagnosis of the UK’s sick healthcare worker crisis

Barbara Matthews, director of human resources at Remote, an HR software company.

Providing flexibility in work hours and location can go a long way in reducing the total number of sick days taken by a staff. In a work environment that requires employees to be physically present in an office on a rigid schedule, employees may feel forced to choose between their work and their personal lives, which in addition to increasing the chances of burnout professional, can lead to situations where employees are forced to take otherwise avoidable sick days.

By providing employees with greater flexibility in when and where they work, organizations are enabling employees to balance their personal and professional commitments. This can potentially mitigate many of the risks associated with poor work-life balance, burnout, and avoidable sick days, while potentially increasing productivity.