This guide is for Admin, HR users and Line Managers.

With the Sickness triggers feature, you can set up company-wide sickness rules to automatically notify managers when employees reach specific sickness thresholds.

Sickness rules can be created based on the Bradford Factor score or the number of sickness instances over a specified period.

Start by creating rules based on either the Bradford Factor score or the number of sickness instances over a specified period.

When an employee's sickness matches a rule, their line manager receives an email alert.

Line managers must have permission to manage sickness to receive these email notifications. If line managers don't have the necessary permissions, HR users will receive the sickness trigger email instead.

Line managers can be set up with this permission by going to Configure > Settings > Permissions and approvals > Change what line managers can see and do > Tick 'View' and 'Manage' against 'Sickness'.

If an employee is not set with a line manager, the email notification will instead be sent to HR users on the account.

The Sickness trigger feature is available as an included module for Regular plans and above.

The Sickness trigger feature is enabled by default in your Breathe account. However, you have the flexibility to turn it on or off. Here's how:

Navigate to Configure > Settings > Modules > Included modules and ensure the 'Sickness triggers' module is ticked.

If the Sickness triggers feature is enabled, you can set up a sickness rule to alert based on an employee's Bradford Factor score or if an employee reaches a number of sickness instances over a specified period.

A rule can be set by navigating to Configure > Settings > Absence settings > Sickness triggers > Select Bradford Factor / Sickness instances > Click + to add a new rule.

Only one sickness trigger rule each for Bradford Factor and Sickness instances can be created.

On a sickness triggers rule page, use the edit and delete icons to manage an existing rule that has been created.

If you do not have the option to set a Bradford Factor sickness trigger rule, this will be because the Bradford Factor setting is disabled.

The Bradford Factor feature can be enabled on the account by going to Configure > Settings > Permissions and approvals > Change what HR users can see and do > Select the 'Use bradford factor' setting > Update HR settings.

When an employee's sickness matches a rule, their line manager receives an email notification.

If an employee is not set with a line manager, or should a line manager not be set with permissions to manage sickness, the email notification will instead be sent to HR users on the account.

Q: What counts as a sickness instance?

A: A sickness instance refers to a single sickness record, whether it's for a single day or multiple days.

The sickness record must be closed to count as an instance or contribute to an employee's Bradford Factor score.

Q: I do not have the option to set a Bradford Factor sickness rule?

A: This will be because the Bradford Factor setting is disabled within your account.

The Bradford Factor feature can be enabled on the account by going to Configure > Settings > Permissions and approvals > Change what HR users can see and do > Select the 'Use bradford factor' setting > Update HR settings.

Q: Can I set multiple sickness trigger rules?

A: Only one sickness trigger rule each for Bradford Factor and Sickness instances can be created.

Q: Why aren't open sicknesses contributing to a sickness rule?

A: Sickness records must be closed to count towards a trigger rule.

Q: How is the Bradford Factor score calculated?

A: More information about the Bradford Factor score and how it works can be found here.

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