We're building a high-performance organisation that delivers great software products. We recognise that this requires a lot of hard work and that for our team to perform at the highest possible level, they need to be healthy in mind and body.
Often when we think of sickness we think of colds, stomach bugs, and perhaps even broken limbs. We don't think so much about sickness in the mind. As an organisation we want to challenge common thinking around this. We want you to feel okay taking a day when you feel down, when you're suffering from depression, after you've had a bad argument with a loved one and need some space to recover, or suffering from bereavement.
When people get sick we ask that they follow these guidelines:
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Don't be a martyr. If you're sick, take the time off. We'd rather you stayed at home than came into the office and infected other people.
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We can provide support if you need help with your state of mind
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If you need assistance with your sickness you can use our employee assistance programme
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On your first day off, send an email to your team and the company directors letting them know that you'll be away and what you had planned for that day. Aim to let them know as early as possible, so they can factor your absence into their tasks for the day.
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Provide regular updates and an expected return date, as soon as you have one.
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If you are taking four or more days sick leave, please supply a doctors note.
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All sick leave will be tracked here: https://docs.google.com/a/madetech.co.uk/spreadsheets/d/18XiuzihJ4i_QWGGbLF5-VcvzQxH7vFZRldJ1DveoSVY/edit
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If you accrue five or more days of sick leave annually, then a meeting with one of the Directors will take place. Sick leave can be a sign of a more deep rooted issue (such as too much pressure, unhappiness with role, or an unhealthy lifestyle) and meeting will enable us to talk openly about the sick leave and look at ways in which we can improve the situation.