Investigating Absent Employees

Since the new year we have been busy carrying out investigations on behalf of a couple of major retailers with staff issues.

 

The problem they shared was with employees who were registered as being on long term sick but were suspected of working elsewhere performing duties and work they were telling their real employers they were incapable of doing. 

The implications for the company who paying the malingering employee are considerable. They are paying someone a full salary who isn’t on site, and having to pay a second person to carry out their duties. As well as the financial implications, staff moral can also be effected with fellow workers questioning the companies attitude to absent employees.

Employers should always investigate sickness absence to ensure the claim is genuine to create a fair and transparent sickness absence policy, and at the same time identifying if there is an underlying reason why the employee should remain on the sick for such a prolonged period of time.

The implications for an employee to be found working elsewhere whilst reporting sick for work can be serious, ultimately resulting in them losing their job.

Over the years we have been investigating malingering and absent employees, we have seen that as well as putting themselves unfit for work, the worker has also submitted an injury at work claim often with them seeking thousands of pound in compensation. The majority of time the HR manager or business owner has instructed us to look into the employees circumstances, we have provided them with the evidence supporting their initial belief supplying prima facia evidence of the employee carrying out work free of an obvious injury.

Our costs are considerably lower than that of a solicitor or barrister who is tasked to challenge an employee over their false injury claim.

We see that once the employee has been given the opportunity to view our evidence, their compensation claim is withdrawn and the employment contract terminated. 

We offer our clients professional expert advice prior to us carrying out surveillance on an employee, and provide them with the reassurance that our activities are lawful and non intrusive therefore not considered as an infringement of their right to privacy.

Our investigators are Police trained in the skill of surveillance and remain discreet when carrying out an investigation into an absent employee.

If you are a business manager of HR professional and wish to discuss how we can carry out an investigation into a malingering employee, call our office and speak to one of our helpful investigators. All advice provided is free and impartial.

Call us on 0845 5441947 or if you’re calling from a mobile call us on 07816 477496.

Alternatively you can e-mail us at enquiries@sghprivateinvestigators.co.uk.

Visit our website to read more about our malingering employee investigation service here >>