Employee Illness

What to Do When an Employee is Sick

No one likes to be sick, but unfortunately everyone catches a bug from time to time. As an administrator, what do you need to do when an employee calls in sick?

“I’m Sick”

If you receive a phone call from your employee reporting that they’re too ill to be at work that day, simply record the sick day in your records and reduce the employee’s sick bank.

If the Illness or Injury Persists

Employees should continue to check in with work so that you stay aware of their health status. If the employee is away for several days or weeks, you may want to contact the University’s Health Promotion Program (Return to Work). For CUPE 116 employees, you can involve HPP after 5 days’ absence from work; for CUPE 2950 and AAPS employees, after 20 days’ absence from work. The Return to Work Program is voluntary, therefore employees may choose not to participate.

Doctor’s Note

As an administrator, you may ask an employee for a doctor’s note or other proof of illness. If you feel you require more information than the doctor’s note provides, please check in with your HR Advisor or Associate, as the rules governing this differs with employee group.

Attendance Management

The University has attendance management programs in place to help you manage the attendance of your staff.