Staff sickness Policy

Stay Healthy

It is very important to us that you properly manage your health and wellbeing. This means sleeping properly; and resting, working in a gan can be exhausting, especially if you are not used to working with children, and it is essential that you come to work well rested. Eating properly, and well balanced meals is also very important in managing your wellbeing and staying healthy. Try to avoid eating high sugar junk food when working with children, this will not help your energy levels through the day. Finally, we recommend that you take a vitamin supplement, and have an annual flu jab. 

Calling in sick

It is very difficult for us to manage sickness, especially if it is last minute. Unless you are really too unwell to work, we expect you to come in. Where you are unwell please give us as much notice as possible. In the first instance call the nursery manager, up to 10pm at night. After this time, please call the manager between 6.30am and 7am. Please do not call in sick after 7am. When calling it is VERY important that you speak to someone and have confirmation that they have received your message. If you cannot reach the manager then please call your team leader, and if you cannot reach your team leader please call Sammy.  

Whilst you are off sick

Whilst you are off sick, please inform the manager each day by 3pm if you are well enough to return the following day, or whether you will require more time off. 

Being ‘signed off work’ as unfit

If you visit a doctor for an illness, and you are signed off work, you are required to provide a copy of the sickness notice from your doctor to the Rainbow Administration. During this period of being ‘signed off’ you are not required to inform us daily of whether you will return to work the following day. 

If you wish to return to work sooner than the sign off period, you must check with the manager, who may insist you take the entire period off work, as directed by your doctor. Alternatively the manager may request a ‘fitness for work’ letter from your doctor.

The manager may request a ‘fitness for work’ letter from your doctor after any period of sickness if the manager has any concern about your ability to perform your duties.

Sickness Monitoring 

Your overall sickness is monitored, and the management will look for any unusual patterns in your sickness. Excessive days taken off sick may trigger a disciplinary meeting, and may lead to dismissal. If you are too sick to provide continuity for the children in the gan, it may be possible that you cannot continue in your role. 

Following each period of sickness, you will attend a back to work interview with a member of the management team. This will be an opportunity to discuss your sickness, and for Rainbow to monitor any patterns in your sickness or concerns that may be contributing towards your sickness.

Sick Pay

Rainbow operates sick may according to the minimum required by Israeli law. This means that in order to be paid for days-off sick, you need to accuse ‘sick days’ – these are shown on your payslip. Sick days are paid, in line with Israeli law from the third day of sickness. From the third day of sickness you are required to provide evidence from the doctor that you are sick. Failure to provide evidence from the doctor, your absence will be recorded as ‘absence without leave’, which could result in disciplinary action.