Person phoning to report a sickness absence

Specialist First-Day Absence Management Support

With over 20 years’ experience, Lemon provides a 24/7 first-day absence reporting service, helping organisations manage absence consistently from day one. We work directly with employers, and alongside absence management providers, to capture accurate absence information, follow agreed workflows, and offer the option of clinical nurse call-back.

Medical personnel

Outsourced First-Day Absence Management 24/7

With transparent reporting and rigorous quality assurance, our first-day absence management contact centre service increases productivity, safeguards compliance, and supports employee wellbeing. Widely proven to reduce short-term sickness absence, first-day absence management helps employees return to work quickly and safely while cutting the cost of absenteeism to your business.

UK-based 24/7 live agents, 365 days per year
Optional NMC-registered Nurse-Call Back service
All calls recorded and available for review
Employees 14% more likely to return promptly (NHS EASY)
Overall 21% reduction in sickness absence (NHS EASY)
Reduce the cost of long term absenteeism to your business
Hospital nurse with folded arms Lemon Contact Centre operator smiling whilst wearing headset
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First-Day Absence Management Call Handling 24/7

Employee absence costs UK businesses millions each year in lost productivity, disruption, and increased overheads. At Lemon, we solve this challenge with a 24/7/365 first-day absence reporting service that helps keep your business running smoothly. Employees report their sickness or absence by phone to a live operator, while our experienced advisors triage calls to capture essential details, log absences accurately, and manage any necessary referrals or escalations.

Optional clinical support is provided through a nurse call-back service delivered by UK NMC-registered nurses, with signposting in accordance with agreed procedures.

Every call is recorded and available for review, with quality monitoring aligned to your SLAs ensuring transparency, accountability, and supporting measurable improvements to business performance.

Absence Management outsourcing solutions. Get in touch today.

24/7 Availability UK based Bespoke service

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What is first-day absence management?
First-day absence management is the process of capturing employee sickness or absence information on the first day it occurs. By ensuring absence is recorded consistently and handled in line with agreed procedures from day one, it helps organisations gain better visibility of absence patterns and supports efforts to reduce avoidable and short-term absence over time.
How do employees report their absence?
Employees report sickness or absence by phone to a live, UK-based operator. Our advisors capture essential absence details and, where required, can log the information directly within your systems. They also manage any necessary referrals, including arranging clinical nurse call-back or escalation, in line with agreed workflows.
Do you provide 24/7 absence reporting?
Yes. Lemon provides a UK-based 24/7/365 first-day absence reporting service, ensuring employees can report absence at any time, including nights, weekends, and bank holidays. Calls are handled by trained operators, providing consistent reporting and a reliable experience outside normal working hours.
Does Lemon work with absence management providers?
Yes. Lemon work directly with employers as well as absence management and occupational health providers, operating as part of a wider absence management solution while following agreed processes, workflows, and handover requirements.
What clinical support options are available?
Where required, advisors can arrange a call-back from an NMC-registered nurse or manage clinical escalation and emergency signposting in line with agreed procedures, ensuring appropriate support while maintaining clear governance and auditability.

Learn how Lemon Contact Centre supports companies with first-day absence management

Read our Customer Story
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