Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

HR practiceSickness absence

Holidays on the sick

by Personnel Today 28 Apr 2009
by Personnel Today 28 Apr 2009

North East bosses are being urged to tighten sickness procedures for their staff after an EU ruling gave workers the green light to carry forward holidays while on long-term sick.

Workers on the sick for over a year can now carry forward all untaken leave into the next holiday year period.

The European Court of Justice ruling means that a worker returning from a year-long sickness period could take all of their outstanding last 12 months holidays on top of their entitlement for the coming year.

In another whammy for employers already hard-pressed by the recession, if the worker hasn’t had the chance to take accrued holiday by the time their employment ends, they are entitled to payment in lieu of their unused holiday.

Neil Atkinson of Gateshead and London-based human resource consultants Deminos said: “For some companies the ruling will create quite a burden on how they operate and reinforces why an effective sickness policy is essential for all firms.

“This should set out clearly the process for reporting, monitoring and managing absences. For example, an obligation to personally report absences by telephone is a must, instead of accepting texts and e-mails which encourages a ‘detached’ attitude to taking time off sick.”

The EU ruling clears up years of legal wrangles about holiday entitlement lost during long-term illness.

While the judgment means holiday will automatically be accrued during sickness, the ruling applies only to those off for extended periods who are not able to take their annual entitlement over the year.

The move applies to the minimum EU holiday requirement of 20 days annual leave including public holidays, although this may increase.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Deminos, which backs all its clients with its £1 million Employment Tribunal Indemnity guarantee, advises putting firm policies in place now following the ruling.

Neil Atkinson added: “Close sickness monitoring should really be seen as a positive thing as it can help manage an absence before it becomes a major problem.”

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Motivation schemes: Praising deeds
next post
More candidates across all sectors caught lying on their CVs

You may also like

‘Replace sick notes with gym’, Streeting tells GPs

11 Jul 2025

Top 10 HR questions June 2025: Redundancy consultation

2 Jul 2025

Welfare cuts would ‘undermine workforce inclusion and business...

27 Jun 2025

With HR absence rising, is your people team...

24 Jun 2025

Seven ways to prepare now for the Employment...

20 Jun 2025

Sickness absence falls to almost pre-pandemic rate

4 Jun 2025

Top 10 HR questions May 2025: Failure to...

2 Jun 2025

Charlie Mayfield: HR needs more proactive approach to...

29 May 2025

Number of Neet women rises but figures fall...

23 May 2025

Union rep teacher awarded £370k for unfair dismissal

15 May 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+