To reward full attendance with holiday is discrimination

I was concerned to read the answer to the question “does anyone still operate a bonus/bonus award system for people who have a whole year with no sickness absence?”

(Discussions online, Personnel Today, 3 July.)

“If an employee successfully completes a year without any sickness at all they receive an additional two days’ holiday to be used the following year”.

Surely this policy would be subject to many discrimination claims (pregnancy-related sickness, disability etc?)

To encourage people to convert sickness days to annual leave so they can claim two further days is also bad practice. Annual leave is a legal requirement and people should take this to have a well- deserved break from work – not to be taken as sick days.

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Bianca Robinson
HR manager
FDM Group