Managers should manage absence
Absence is a management issue, not a medical one. Evidence shows that absenteeism varies highly across teams working in the same location and performing the same role. This indicates that the real influencer of absence figures is the way in which people are managed and the processes in place to return them swiftly to health and work.
Effective absence management must be done on an individual basis. At a practical level, line managers need to be in charge of implementing the absence policy because they hold the relationship with staff.
There is limited value that medics can bring to this process alone. Absencecare has observed that in approximately 80% of cases, medical intervention cannot influence the speed that an employee returns to work, because absence cases are largely due to minor illnesses (e.g. a common cold) or non-sickness absence (e.g. a broken boiler). The remaining 20% of cases should be referred to and assessed by Occupational Health physicians who can provide managers with a clear prognosis for return to work and contractual duties.