Managers should ensure that disability leave is recorded separately from sickness and disability-related sickness absence.

Disability leave should be recorded as a type of special leave. This is so that employees are not adversely penalised under sickness absence management schemes or capability procedures for routine, short-term absences related to a disability.

Recording disability leave separately will ensure we do not calculate bonuses or make other pay or employment decisions in a way that may unlawfully discriminate against our employees because of their disability or long-term condition.

Disability leave will not activate sickness absence triggers.

Managers should actively encourage staff to share their disability on the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) if they haven’t already done so and inform the Workforce Team to update the staff member's ESR profile.