What is a sickness absence protocol?

When an employee calls in sick, everyone involved needs to know exactly which steps to take. A sickness absence call can cause tension on both sides. How is the absence recorded? Who makes the first contact? And what should both parties expect from each other in the weeks that follow? To create that clarity, organisations rely on a sickness absence protocol.

So what exactly is a sickness absence protocol, and why is it more than just a formality? The answer is straightforward: a sickness absence protocol sets out the agreements, roles and responsibilities surrounding sickness absence. That makes it a practical guide for employees and managers alike. It creates structure, but above all it creates trust: everyone knows what is expected of them.

A sickness absence protocol matters for employers and employees

Without a sickness absence protocol, misunderstandings and uncertainty can creep in and make the process unnecessarily heavy. For the employee, it is reassuring to know who will keep in touch and which steps will follow. For the employer, the protocol provides a foothold to act carefully and on time, as required under the Eligibility for Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter).

A sickness absence protocol is also a powerful tool for prevention. It surfaces signals of structural absence sooner and makes it easier to act quickly. So it is not only a document that kicks in when someone falls ill, it is also a means of strengthening vitality and resilience across the organisation.

Is a sickness absence protocol a legal requirement?

The Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) does not explicitly oblige employers to have a sickness absence protocol, but the obligations around absence management make it indispensable in practice. Under the Eligibility for Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act, employers are required to follow a number of steps when an employee is off sick, including:

• Reporting the absence to the occupational health service in good time.
• Drawing up a problem analysis by the occupational health physician.
• Producing an action plan together with the employee.
• Recording all agreements and evaluations throughout the return-to-work process.

Without a sickness absence protocol, it is hard to carry out these steps consistently and carefully. That is why almost every organisation chooses to put one in place. It creates clarity, secures the legal obligations and reduces the risk of mistakes or delay.

Examples of a sickness absence protocol in practice

Although every protocol is tailored to the organisation, most sickness absence protocols share the same foundation. You will usually find elements such as:

• The sickness absence call: how, to whom and within what timeframe should an employee report being unwell?
• Contact moments: who gets in touch with the employee, when, and how often does a conversation follow?
• The line manager’s role: which tasks sit with the direct manager and which with HR or the occupational health service?
• The employee’s responsibilities: what is expected of the employee during illness and the return-to-work process?
• Support from the occupational health service: when does the employer call in the occupational health service, and what role does the occupational health physician play?
• Return to work: what does the process of a gradual return look like?

In practice, a sample sickness absence protocol can be very specific. It might state, for instance, that an employee must call their line manager before 9:00 am to report illness, that HR will follow up within two working days, and that an official problem analysis is drawn up by the occupational health physician after six weeks.

A sickness absence protocol supports prevention and resilience

A well-designed sickness absence protocol pays off well beyond a single absence. It exposes where bottlenecks emerge and which patterns keep recurring. That allows employers to spot earlier whether structural workload or other factors are driving people out of work. Capability keeps every employer in view and brings them into the process wherever that adds value.

A protocol also gives employees confidence. They know they will not be left to fend for themselves, but that there is guidance and structure around them. This reduces uncertainty and makes it easier to focus on recovery. At Capability, our case managers listen carefully to employees, schedule contact moments every three to four weeks, and put targeted interventions in place where possible to speed up sustainable recovery. Throughout, we underline the employee’s own role, so they stay actively involved.

What are the benefits of a clear sickness absence protocol for organisations?

Putting a sickness absence protocol in place and sticking to it brings organisations a string of advantages:

• Transparency: employees and managers know what to expect from each other.
• Time saved: with steps and responsibilities defined, decisions take less time to make.
• Legal compliance: the agreements line up with the Eligibility for Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act.
• Trust and calm: employees feel less tension around being off sick.
• Insight for prevention: recurring patterns or repeat absence become visible sooner.

For organisations that take long-term employability seriously, the sickness absence protocol is therefore not a mandatory document but a tool to grow job satisfaction, health and resilience.

How do you put together a sickness absence protocol that actually works?

A sickness absence protocol only works properly when it fits the culture and reality of the organisation. The point is not to copy a standard template, but to set agreements that match your own situation. Think about the size of the organisation, the sector you operate in and the role line managers play in absence management.

What tends to work in practice is to draft the protocol together with HR, line managers and the occupational health service, and then test it with employees. That builds buy-in and makes sure the agreements are both workable and clear. The protocol is not just a document owned by the employer, then, but a shared agreement across the organisation.

The sickness absence protocol as the foundation of a healthy organisation

A sickness absence protocol may not be spelled out as compulsory in law, but in practice it is hard to do without. It provides a foothold, prevents mistakes and gives employees confidence. More importantly, it is a foundation an organisation can build on for prevention and resilience.

At Capability, we see a sickness absence protocol as a chance to make the conversation about health and employability a permanent part of working life. That means absence is not just well managed, you are also using it as a moment to make the organisation stronger. Read more about our approach here and more about our occupational health services here.