Attendance Management (PS 147)

Aims and objectives of the policy

Managing attendance is essential to the efficiency of Nottinghamshire Police and
Nottinghamshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). Together we are committed to promoting a good attendance culture and a supportive working environment. All individuals must take responsibility for their attendance at work, demonstrating a clear commitment to attendance in order to maintain high standards of service to the public. Therefore, providing a service that works for local people.

Good attendance at work is expected to be maintained by the entire workforce of Nottinghamshire Police and OPCC. Individuals who are absent through illness will be supported to return to work as soon as possible. We will demonstrate our commitment to improving the health, wellbeing and safety of our workforce, as well as organisational effectiveness.

he aim of the attendance management policy is to provide a framework for addressing non-attendance issues with a fair, timely and consistent approach and is designed to manage consistent standards of attendance for all those working for Nottinghamshire Police and OPCC.

The key principles underpinning the policy are as follows:

• The framework for attendance management is designed to achieve consistent standards of attendance for all those working for Nottinghamshire Police and OPCC.

• Poor attendance will be challenged and effectively managed in line with the staged approach detailed below.

• Individuals who are absent through illness or injury will be supported to return to work as soon as possible.

• We will seek to maximise attendance at work to support and achieve Nottinghamshire Police policing objectives/plan.

• We will develop and maintain an attendance culture which is consistent in approach and supportive of the workforce and public we serve.

• We are committed to supporting terminal ill individuals with dignity, respect and compassion.

• Return to work interviews must be undertaken after every absence to ensure individuals are fit and supported on their return to work.

• Managers are responsible for managing attendance and are expected to intervene early to secure attendance, whilst adopting a proactive approach to ensure it is consistent, supportive and fair.

• If an individual provides any false information or makes false statements about their sickness absence, it may be treated as misconduct and may result in disciplinary action being taken. In proven cases of gross misconduct it could lead to dismissal.

• Stage 1 and 2 formal sickness review meetings will be conducted by managers at the appropriate level.

Policy statement

The policy applies to:

• All police officers except those above the rank of Chief Superintendent and those who have not completed their probation.

• All police staff and OPCC staff except those within their probationary period.

• Special constables except those who have not completed their probation.

The policy must be read in conjunction with the Attendance Management Procedure and for police officers, the Police (Performance) Regulations 2012. The policy is also supported by a guide for managers to effectively manage their team’s attendance. It becomes applicable with immediate effect.

Responsibilities

Individual

Individuals are responsible for maintaining the standard of attendance expected of them. Individuals must take reasonable steps to uphold consistent attendance at work. If they are unable to attend work through sickness, individuals are responsible for advising their line manager (or if unavailable an equivalent manager) prior to the shift start time or at the earliest opportunity and when reasonably practical. Contact is expected in person, by telephone. Text or an email message is unacceptable, except in exceptional circumstances.

If the absence continues, individuals must maintain regular contact with their line manager (as agreed between both parties but no less than weekly), to provide an update on their situation and expected length of absence or expected return date.

Individuals have an obligation to maintain contact with the Nottinghamshire Police or OPCC (as applicable) and line management during any period of sickness absence.

To ensure accurate recording of absence, individuals must advise their line manager or another manager when they are fit to work, even if this is a rest day or annual leave.

Individuals must provide medical evidence for sickness that lasts longer than seven calendar days.

Individuals should work with line managers to get an early return to work and not do anything which may hinder their return to work.

Individuals should inform their manager of any extenuating circumstances, for example personal or family problems which may affect a return to work.

Individuals must inform their manager of any forthcoming work commitments which require attention and highlight any work-related concerns which may be contributing to their absence.

When requested to do so, an individual is required to attend the Occupational Health Unit (OHU) for an assessment, failure to do so may result in a management decision without the relevant OHU information.

Line Manager

Line managers are responsible for ensuring that their team members are aware of the levels of attendance expected of them.

Line managers are expected to manage attendance, support their team members and provide early intervention in order to help individuals maintain the expected level of attendance.

Line managers who are responsible for absence management will be expected to attend training in the management of absence including awareness of disability related issues and reasonable adjustments.

Line managers are responsible for and must promptly record absences on the My Zone manager self-service. This will include logging the reason for absence, entering fit note details and recording any on-going contact.

Line managers are required to ensure the employee provides medical evidence for sickness that lasts longer than seven calendar days.

Line managers will conduct a return to work interview with their team member on the first day of their return to work or as soon as is reasonably practical.

Line managers will maintain reasonable contact with their team member (as agreed between both parties but not less than weekly) who is absent due to sickness.

Line managers are empowered to manage attendance by reconciling the interests of the individual with the operational needs of Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire OPCC.

Line managers should show tolerance and empathy towards the employee’s sickness absence, while at the same time making clear that continuing frequent absence from work is unacceptable.

Where informal management interventions have not achieved the required level of attendance, and this is evidenced, the policy requires the line managers to invoke the formal procedure to support their team member to achieve the required level of attendance.

Senior Manager

Senior managers have a responsibility to promote a good attendance culture and to ensure attendance is managed effectively.

Senior managers should hold individuals and line managers accountable for sickness within their team in order to support individuals return to work and reduce sickness absence.

Pay

Police Officer sick pay arrangements are contained in Regulation 28 Annex K in Police Regulations 2003.

Police staff sick pay arrangements are contained in the Police Staff Handbook.

Sickness Certification

For any sickness absence that lasts longer than seven calendar days, a doctor’s statement of fitness to work (‘fit note’) must be submitted to the line manager, no later than the tenth day of absence or as soon as reasonably practical, covering the period of absence from the eighth day onwards.

Continued absence must be covered by additional fit notes. Failure to provide fit notes to cover absence may lead to a loss of sick pay.

Fit notes will continue to be issued by doctors. With effect from 1st July 2022, fit notes can also be issued by nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapist who have assessed individual’s fitness for work.

Part day absences

My Zone manager self-service records the times of part day absences. If an individual leaves work early due to sickness this will be treated as an occasion of sickness absence and treated as a day for the trigger points unless they have worked at least half or more of their shift or contracted hours.

Informal Stages

Informal management interventions should be employed to support individuals to attend work regularly. Attendance support meetings (ASMs) must be held prior to the formal procedure being invoked and must result in an Attendance Support Plan (ASP) Where this does not lead to regular attendance then the formal procedure must be invoked.

Attendance support meetings will be held after 2 or more occasions of absence within a rolling 12 month period, or any period of absence for 10 or more calendar days. ASMs should not only relate to a return to work, it should also consider a sustained improvement in attendance.

Formal Stages

The formal framework is a two stage supportive process with a view to facilitating a sustained improvement in an individual’s attendance at work.

Stage one will be triggered by:

3 or more occasions of absence within a rolling 12 month period and/or inability to achieve the requirements of an ASP and/or any pattern of absence that gives cause for concern.

These will be trigger points for a line manager to effectively manage an individual’s absence through a formal procedure.

Stage two will be triggered if the individual has been unable to make sufficient and sustained improvement in their attendance.

Written Improvement Notices issued at the above stages will remain valid for 12 months.

Improvements must be seen within 3 months, 12 months in exceptional circumstances, and attendance must be maintained for the 12 month period. If the improvement is not maintained within the 12 months, then the next stage of the procedure may be invoked.

Police Officer – Formal Intervention Stages

Stage	Trigger	Meeting Chair	Appeal Meeting Chair	Possible Outcomes
First stage meeting	3 or more occasions of absence within a rolling 12 month period and/or inability to achieve the requirements of the ASP and/or any pattern of absence that gives cause for concern	First line manager	Appeal manager (at the same rank as the second line manager)	Written Improvement Notice An extension of informal ASP
Second stage meeting	Unable to make sufficient and sustained improvement in attendance	Second line manager	Senior manager Grade M1 or above or Superintendent	Final Written Improvement Notice An extension of stage 1Written Improvement Notice

Police/OPCC Staff – Formal Intervention Stages

Stage	Trigger	Meeting Chair	Appeal Meeting Chair	Possible Outcomes
First stage meeting	3 or more occasions of absence within a rolling 12 month period and/or breach of ASM and/or any pattern of absence that gives cause for concern	First line manager	Second line manager OPCC staff – CE/CFO/PCC/DPCC	Written Improvement Notice Conduct further ASM
Second stage meeting	Unable to make sufficient and sustained improvement in attendance within 3 months, or within 12 months in exceptional circumstances	Chair will be a Senior Officer (above rank of Chief Superintendent) or the Head of People Services (PS) & OD. There will be a panel of 3 members to include a Police Officer at the rank of Superintendent and a Senior People Services representative. Second stage meetings will be audio recorded by Nottinghamshire Police.	Police Appeals Tribunal	Dismissal In exceptional circumstances, extension of a stage 1 Written Improvement Notice or redeployment to alternative duties

Police/OPCC Staff - Formal Intervention Stages

Stage	Trigger	Meeting Chair	Appeal Meeting Chair	Possible Outcomes
First stage meeting	3 or more occasions of absence within a rolling 12 month period and/or inability to achieve the requirements of the ASP and/or any pattern of absence that gives cause for concern	First line manager	Appeal manager (the same rank as the second line manager) OPCC staff – CE/CFO/PCC/DPCC	Written Improvement Notice An extension of the informal ASP
Second stage meeting	Unable to make sufficient and sustained improvement in attendance within 3 months, or within 12 months in exceptional circumstances	Chief Inspector or Senior Manager Grade M1 or above, accompanied by a People Services Advisor. Second stage meetings will be audio recorded by Nottinghamshire Police.	Superintendent or Head of Department OPCC staff - CE/CFO/PCC/DPCC	Dismissal In exceptional circumstances, extension of a stage 1 Written Improvement Notice or redeployment to alternative duties which may include a reduction in grade.

Appeals

Individuals have the right to appeal against the outcome of a formal meeting. The appeal must be submitted in writing within 7 working days of the written outcome letter being received. The grounds for appeal against the decision must be set out. Where the appeal has been against dismissal, if the decision to dismiss is upheld, the effective date of termination shall be the date on which the original dismissal took effect.

Right to Be Accompanied

Individuals are afforded the right to be accompanied by a work colleague, trade union representative or staff association representative as applicable at all formal meetings.

Exceptions to Formal Intervention

In the following situations line managers should seek advice from People Services and formal intervention should not automatically be invoked:

• An individual is in the terminal stages of an illness.

• The individual is able to return to work with reasonable adjustments and the reasonable adjustments have not yet been put in place.

• The police officer is in the process of assessment for medical retirement.

• This is an absence related to a disability under the Equality Act 2010 or pregnancy or the effects of treatment for gender reassignment. These absences will be recorded, although the absence may be discounted from the triggering procedure. Notwithstanding the disability, should the individual’s level of attendance cause the line manager concern, after consultation with a People Services Advisor and giving careful consideration to the disability related absence, the line manager may invoke the formal procedure. 

Reasonable Adjustments in the Workplace

Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire OPCC are committed to making reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of disabled individuals to support them to continue to work.

Police Officers and Police Staff within their Probationary Period

For police officers; Regulation 12 and 13, Police Regulations 2003 will be followed.

For police staff, PD 314 Police Staff Probationary Review procedure will be followed.

Statement of legislative compliance

This document has been drafted to comply with the general and specific duties in the Equality Act 2010; Data Protection Act; Freedom of Information Act; European Convention of Human Rights; Employment Act 2002; Employment Relations Act 1999, and other legislation relevant to policing.

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PS 147:
Attendance Management

Type of Document:
Policy

Version:
1.6

Registered Owner:
Head of People Services and Organisational Development

Author/Reviewer:
Harriet Shepherd

Effective Date:
November 2025

Review Date:
November 2030

Replaces Document (if applicable):
N/A

Linked Documents:
PD 610 Attendance Management Procedure
PG 023 Attendance Management- Managers’ Guide
PD 539 Police Officer Medical Retirement (A20)
PD 547 Sick Pay Review