The Leadership Behaviours That Are Quietly Increasing Your Sickness Absence
How everyday leadership habits create absence patterns without anyone noticing
Two teams.
Same business.
Same sickness policy.
Same sick pay rules.
One team has regular short-term absence.
The other barely has any.
This is more common than most leaders realise. And it tells us something important.
Sickness absence isn’t just about illness. It’s one of the clearest indicators of how confidently and consistently managers lead.
And in many businesses, absence levels aren’t rising because people are suddenly less well. They’re rising because everyday leadership behaviours are quietly driving patterns that go unchallenged.
Not intentionally.
Not maliciously.
But consistently.
The uncomfortable truth about sickness absence
Most businesses treat sickness absence as an HR or policy issue. Something to document, track and escalate when it gets “bad enough”. And when absence levels are high they turn to policy changes, sometimes even taking away sick pay. Not only does this not fix the problem, it disengages all the high performers and reduces discretionary effort in the long term.
Absence patterns usually form long before HR gets involved.
They’re shaped by:
- what managers say (or don’t say)
- what they follow up on
- what they let slide
- how consistent they are between team members
In other words, sickness absence is strongly influenced by leadership behaviour.
And this is where things often go wrong.
The leadership behaviours that quietly increase absence
These behaviours usually come from good intentions. Managers want to be supportive, kind and reasonable. But without confidence and clarity, those intentions can backfire.
Here are some of the most common patterns I see.
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Avoiding return-to-work conversations
If someone comes back after sickness and nothing is said, the message is clear. Absence doesn’t really matter here. Silence is rarely neutral. Over time, it trains behaviour.
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Confusing kindness with lack of challenge
Many managers worry that asking questions feels accusatory. So they avoid them. But supportive leadership doesn’t mean stepping back completely. It means engaging properly, not pretending nothing happened.
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Ignoring short, frequent absences
One day here. Half a day there. Nothing “serious”. Until it becomes a pattern. Managers often wait for a big trigger before acting, instead of addressing issues early when they’re easier, and cheaper, to manage.
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Managing some people tightly and others loosely
Teams notice inconsistency immediately. When one person’s absence is questioned and another’s is ignored, perceptions of unfairness grow. That resentment often shows up as disengagement and more absence.
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Treating sickness as off-limits
Some managers believe sickness is untouchable. So they don’t ask questions, don’t explore patterns and don’t intervene at all. But managing sickness absence isn’t about questioning illness. It’s about managing attendance fairly and consistently.
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Outsourcing absence management to HR
Some managers step back completely and hand sickness absence over to HR at the first sign of discomfort. HR becomes the enforcer, the chaser, the note-taker. The manager disappears. HR should support, guide and advise - not replace the manager. When managers abdicate responsibility, absence management becomes reactive, over-formal and disconnected from day-to-day reality.
None of these behaviours look dramatic on their own.
But together, they create exactly the conditions where absence levels creep up.
What strong leadership looks like instead
Good absence management isn’t harsh, clinical or uncaring.
It’s calm.
It’s consistent.
And it’s human.
Strong leaders:
- hold return-to-work conversations as standard, not as a confrontation
- notice patterns early and address them proportionately
- apply expectations fairly across the team
- understand the difference between support and avoidance
- feel confident enough to manage absence without fear of “saying the wrong thing”
Importantly, they don’t see absence management as something separate from leadership. It’s part of how they lead people day to day.
And when it’s done well, it often reduces sickness absence while improving trust and wellbeing.
Why this matters even more now
Sickness absence has always carried a cost. But changes to statutory sick pay mean that cost is becoming much more visible.
With sick pay now payable from day one - including people previously ineligible, small absences now have a bigger financial impact. That makes leadership behaviour even more important.
When absence costs more, inconsistency costs more.
Businesses that rely on managers “just doing their best” without proper guidance will feel this first.
Three actions leaders can take now
You don’t need to rewrite your policy to make progress here. Start with leadership behaviour.
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Look for inconsistency, not policy gaps
Ask yourself how different managers handle the same absence scenarios. If the approach varies widely, that’s your real risk.
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Pay attention to return-to-work conversations
If they’re rushed, awkward or skipped altogether, that’s a clear signal that managers lack confidence, not care. Make them mandatory, even for half days.
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Train managers to manage absence confidently, not cautiously
Avoidance often comes from fear. Confidence comes from understanding what’s reasonable, lawful and effective. Give them the language, frameworks and confidence to address patterns early
Where managers usually need support
Most managers were never taught how to manage sickness absence properly. They’re expected to balance care, consistency and compliance without any real training.
That’s exactly why I created Managing Short Term Absence with Confidence.
It’s designed to give managers:
- confidence in return-to-work conversations
- clarity on spotting and addressing patterns early
- practical judgement, not rigid scripts
- a balanced approach that supports people and protects the business
It’s not about turning managers into HR experts. It’s about helping them lead absence properly.
The reality check
You can’t control illness.
But you absolutely can control how absence is managed.
And leadership behaviour is one of the most powerful – and overlooked – levers you have.
If sickness absence is rising quietly in your business, it’s worth asking a different question.
Not “what’s wrong with the policy?”
But “how confidently are our managers leading this?”
That answer usually tells you everything you need to know.
Need help and support taking action to improve your absence management practices? Send me a DM and we can talk through how I can support you.
