Absence management is a vital issue that continues to be at the top of the HR agenda. Although over the past two years employee absence figures have started to go down, the monetary cost of this absence is rising. According to CBI’s 2006 figures, absence management costs UK organisations £13 billion; this figure also looks set to rise in 2007.

Within the next few years absence from work will start to be affected by other factors, including the rise in the retirement age and growth in the number of older workers. The cost involved with absence isn't just financial - less tangible costs are placed on colleagues who carry the burden of an increased workload.