1.15 Absenteeism Policy

Informing Employer

In the event of absence due to sickness from work, employees (or someone on their behalf) must contact their Manager at the office by 10:30 am on the first day of absence.   

Certified Sick Leave

A certificate from a qualified medical practitioner must be submitted on the third day of continuous absence and weekly after that. The certificate should state the general nature of the employee's ailment, the precise period for which the employee will be unfit for duty or the probable date of resumption of duty. Subsequent certificates must be submitted if the absence continues beyond the period covered by the initial certification.

Glin National College will give the employee full pay, less social welfare disability cheque payment for adequately certified sick absence up to a maximum of 30 days in any twelve months. 

The 12-month period starts on the first day of illness.

Medical Examination

In all periods of illness, the company may request and have the right to require an independent medical examination and report on the fitness of the employee. 

Uncertified Sick leave

Employees may take up to 7 days in any twelve months, for which they will be paid. 

If an employee who falls sick during a period of annual leave produces, at the time, a doctor's statement to the effect that they are unfit for work, the period of their sickness will be treated as sick leave and not annual leave.

Employees are required to claim and remit to the employer any social welfare payments due during periods when they are on sick pay. Employees can obtain the relevant Social Welfare Forms from their doctor. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection issues forms DB5 and DB6, giving details of the payments being made to recipients. These should be submitted as evidence. 

All employees will be required to attend a Return to Work Meeting with their Manager on the first day of return from an absence.

Any staff member who has more than five sick absences in any 12 months will be invited to a meeting with their Manager to examine and discuss if there are any reasons within the company which may be causing the absences.