STAFF sick leave is running at an average of nine working days per employee - a figure many small businesses in Herefordshire and Worcestershire have difficulty coping with.

With about 85 per cent of businesses in the two counties employing less than 10 people, the local Chamber of Commerce believes many could have trouble bearing the financial brunt of sickness absence on account of their size.

Lisa Tubb, training and business development manager at the Chamber, said: "When margins are tight and overheads large, the cost of staff downtime can be difficult to bear, with the average annual cost of sick leave estimated at more than £500 per employee.

"The cost of sickness absence is actually going up. According to a 2004 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development survey, the average cost of sickness absence per employee was £558.

"It goes without saying, therefore, that managers must be equipped with the ability to manage absence and sickness issues effectively and efficiently."

The Chamber of Commerce offers a managing attendance and sickness records workshop which covers the legal framework relating to these issues and provides practical advice on reducing absence, including back-to-work interviews, setting incentives and effective disciplinary procedures.

Aimed at small business owners, sole traders, line managers, supervisors and anyone responsible for human resources, the half-day workshop forms part of the popular Employment Law series offered by the chamber.

For more information phone 0845 6411614.