Trigger points

A trigger point is a duration or pattern of individual absence which, when reached, triggers a response from the employer’s absence management procedure. There may be different trigger points for different patterns of absence, and they need not be tied in to the Fit Note or Fit for Work timetables.

Use of formal trigger points seems to be more common in the public sector, and in higher and further education. Public sector employers typically react after six, eight or 10 days off, or between three and five spells of absence. Whether the trigger has been reached may be measured over a three- or six-month reference period, or more usually over 12 months.

Other trigger mechanisms may be more complex, discretionary or descriptive, for example, looking for patterns of absence on a certain day of the week, when seasonal events take place, or on either side of annual leave or a public holiday.

Systems of trigger points that are too harsh can result in workers being dismissed despite having known health conditions, or experiencing health service delays, and in levels of disciplinary action or occupational health referrals that are unmanageable even from the employer’s point of view.