Sickness policies like that can backfire. When employees figure out that it's better to stay off sick for 3 weeks with the sniffles, to make sure you are 'fully recovered' (my GP was quite happy to do this as the policy was stupid), as that is 1 period of absence, than to try and go back as soon as possible and have to be off again (which is 2 periods of absence). Strangely, the bosses figured if you were off for 3 weeks, you must be ill, but 2 cases of 1 day within a week means you're pulling the wool. Good luck to you!