Standards › Standard 2E › Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Standard operating procedure (SOP) · WRK-SOP-008 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee
Supports: 2E.7
At a glance
- Analyse sickness and leaving data every quarter, by team and by reason.
- Look for patterns, not single cases.
- Agree at least one action for any pattern found.
- Report the analysis and actions to the governance meeting twice a year.
- Stop and get help straight away if: sickness and leaving data is not analysed for 6 months or more.
1. Purpose
To turn absence and turnover data into organisational learning, so that patterns causing harm to staff are found and changed [EC].
2. Scope
| Applies to | All workforce data held by the organisation |
| Locations | All services |
| When | Quarterly analysis; twice-yearly report to governance |
| Does not apply to | Individual medical information, which stays confidential with occupational health |
3. Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sickness absence rate | Days lost to sickness as a share of days worked, for a period |
| Attrition | Leavers as a share of the workforce in a period |
4. Background
High sickness or turnover is often a warning about safety, workload or management. Without analysis, the warning is missed.
5. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility | Competence |
|---|---|---|
| Human resources lead | Runs the analysis and writes the report | HR analysis |
| Occupational health lead | Advises on patterns linked to health and safety | Occupational health |
| Governance committee | Reviews the report and agrees actions | Governance |
6. Materials and equipment
| Item | Requirement | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Sickness absence and turnover register (WRK-REG-002) | Current | Updated monthly |
7. Safety
- Individual medical details are never shared in the analysis. Only team and category data is used.
8. Before you start
- Confirm the reason categories are agreed and used consistently.
9. Procedure
Step 1. Extract the data.
- Take the quarter’s entries from WRK-REG-002.
- Check each entry has a team and a category.
Key point: Missing categories make the analysis useless.
Step 2. Calculate the rates.
- Work out the sickness rate and the attrition rate for each team.
- Compare with the previous quarter and the same quarter last year.
Key point: A rate needs a comparison to mean something.
Step 3. Look for patterns.
- Find teams or categories above the organisation average for two quarters or more.
- Identify the likely cause with the team manager.
Key point: A pattern in two quarters is the trigger for action.
Step 4. Act and report.
- Agree one action for each pattern, with an owner and a date.
- Include the analysis and actions in the twice-yearly report.
Key point: The report closes the learning loop.
10. Decision points
- If a team’s sickness rate indicates a safety risk, the clinical director decides on immediate review.
11. Special situations
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Outbreak-related absence | Analysed separately and not counted as a team pattern. |
12. Escalation
- A pattern linked to a safety concern is escalated to the chief executive within 2 weeks.
13. Monitoring
| Measure | Target | Frequency | Owner | If not met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterly analysis done | 100% | Quarterly | Human resources lead | Escalate to chief executive |
| Patterns with an agreed action | 100% | Each quarter | Human resources lead | Escalate to governance |
14. Records
| Record | Kept in | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly analysis report | Governance files | Employment plus 6 years |
15. Training
- Managers are briefed on how to read the report and act on it.
16. Related documents
| ID | Title | Use |
|---|---|---|
| WRK-REG-002 | Sickness absence and turnover register | Source data |
| WRK-POL-003 | Occupational health, safety and wellbeing policy | Policy this supports |
17. Evidence
| Reference | Note |
|---|---|
| E-006 | ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted. |
| E-009 | ASF Expert Committee consensus. |
18. Change history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | the date of approval | First version | set Expert Committee approval |
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References
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 1. (E-009)