Attandance Management

Question 0

Line managers in the brigade must ensure that all new staff members….

Answer 0

Are thoroughly briefed on the contents of this policy as fully understand their responsibilities surrounding it.

Question 1

Whose responsibility is it to ensure staff attend work regularly and when absent that they inform their line managers promptly in line with procedure?

Answer 1

It is the responsibility of all managers

Question 2

Define the periods of absence that categorises long or short term sickness

Answer 2

Short term - 21 days or less

Long term - more than 21 days

Question 3

Research shows that ….. What is key to keeping sickness to a minimum?

Answer 3

Establishing and maintaining contact.

Question 4

What should managers put in place when absences develop into long term cases?

Answer 4

A rehabilitation plan. Rehab plans should be drawn up after the employee’s first medical appointment.

Question 5

Responsibilities - all brigade staff must…

Answer 5

Inform their line manager promptly when they are unable to attend for work, stating the reasons why.

They should also maintain contact throughout their absence.
Emails and text are not appropriate.

Question 6

When are staff required to provide a self cert, and doctors cert?

Answer 6

Self - from the 4th day of sickness

Doctors from the 8th.

Managers are responsible for logging them onto StARS and putting them on their PRF

Question 7

What measures are available in assisting a return to work?

Answer 7

Review meetings, rehab plan, light duties, funded treatment, FF charity etc

Question 8

What are the automatic triggers for an OHS medical referral?

Answer 8

Stress, anxiety, depression, cardio related.

Question 9

Sickness flow chart…?

Answer 9

Day 1 - report sick, contact for next 4 days. 
Day 4 - self cert covering days 1-7. 
Day 8 - medical cert. weekly contact. 
Day 21 - long term - OHS referral. 
13 weeks - Ops staff moved to the sick pool. 
26 weeks - half pay
9 months - stage 2 discipline. 
52 weeks - nil pay

Question 10

When notifying sickness, employees must report what?

Answer 10

Te nature of the incapacity
Whether a doctor is being consulted
Where possible, the length of absence

Question 11

What is the self cert form called?

Answer 11

DSS form SC2 or a brigade form 112a available on Hotwire.

Question 12

Unless a medical cert shows an end date it will be taken as covering how many days?

Answer 12

7 days only

Question 13

What should a manager do if an employee changes address while sick?

Answer 13

Notify attendance management immediately.

Question 14

If an employee is taken ill with reasonable grounds to assume it may be due to attendance of an incident what is the OIC to do?

Answer 14

Submit a report to the attendance management team. Copy of report also to go to H and S services.

Question 15

From 6 April 2010 medical certificates (med 3) have been replaced with what?

Answer 15

‘Statement of fitness for work’ or ‘fit note’.

Question 16

What do the following sickness codes apply to; 
NN, ND
SN,SD
MN, MD
LTN, LTD

Answer 16

Up to 3 days
4-7 days
8-21 days
Over 21 days

Codes ending in N are not due to service, D are due to service.

Question 17

When would you click the mitigating circumstances box?

Answer 17

If the sickness is maternity/pregnancy related.

Question 18

To enter DTS sickness what rank must you be?

Definition of DTS?

Answer 18

SM or above

An injury received by a person without his or her own default in the execution of his or her duties as a regular FF.

Question 19

Question to be addressed when establishing if it’s DTS?

Answer 19

Were they in the execution of their duties as a regular FF when they sustained the injury?

Was their default by the employee?

Was the injury due to an underlying medical condition?

Question 20

Where sickness is disability related how much are the triggers for management action increased by?

Answer 20

30%-100%

Question 21

What are the attendance factor trigger points?

Answer 21

48 - informal action

100 - stage 1

Question 22

Maximum outcome at a stage 1 attendance hearing?

Stage 2 hearing?

Stage 3?

Answer 22

Action plan

Final written warning.

Dismissal

Question 23

How do you work out the attendance factor?

Answer 23

Number of periods x number of periods x total number of days sickness

Question 24

48-99 points = ?

100+

400+

Answer 24

Take informal action, if AF continues at this level progress to stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 as appropriate.

Take formal action commencing at stage 1, if it continues at 48+ progress to stages 2 and 3 as appropriate.

If action at stage 1 has not occurred consider going straight to stage 2.

Question 25

Disability related sickness - what are the AF triggers?

Answer 25

Informal action - 63-96 points
Stage 1 - 130-200 points
The triggers are increased by 30%-100%

Question 26

Other trigger points for managerial points?

Answer 26

Repeated absences of less than a duty shift
Repeated absences immediately before or after periods of leave.
Repeated absences during school holidays.
Repeated absence coinciding with an OHS apt
Repeated absences coinciding with undesirable duties such as training days etc
Sickness levels exceeding authority levels