The hardest part of being ill shouldn't be reporting it.

Not every illness is easy to talk about. Some are deeply personal. Some feel embarrassing (even though they shouldn’t!). Some are emotionally overwhelming. Yet for many employees, the very first step in reporting sickness is to phone their line manager and explain why they can’t come to work.

For some people, that's absolutely fine. For others, it's one of the hardest conversations they'll have all year. Not because they don't trust their manager, but because they're being asked to discuss something deeply personal at one of the most vulnerable moments. Calling in sick wasn't designed around psychology or wellbeing. It was designed around the best technology available at the time.

Today, almost every employee carries a smartphone capable of securely sharing information instantly, yet many organisations still insist that the first step in reporting sickness is a real-time phone call. The workplace has evolved.

We use AI to help us write documents. We collaborate across continents. We approve expenses from our phones. We hold meetings in virtual reality. Yet when someone is ill, many organisations still rely on a process that became commonplace simply because telephone calls were once the quickest way to contact your employer.

This isn't about removing the human conversation. Managers should still speak with employees, check on their wellbeing and offer support. But perhaps that conversation shouldn't happen in the moment that someone is vulnerable, embarrassed, sitting in a hospital waiting room or simply not ready to talk.

Some employees may find discussing sensitive health matters difficult. Others may be uncomfortable talking to a particular manager about certain issues. And for many people, particularly those who have grown up communicating through messaging and apps, making a phone call is no longer their instinctive first choice.

Technology shouldn't replace empathy. It should create the space for a better conversation. It's one of the reasons we built AVA.

Employees can report their absence comfortably and confidentially, receive immediate signposting to relevant support, and managers receive the information they need before making a thoughtful follow-up call.

It doesn't replace the conversation. It simply gives employees a more comfortable way to start the conversation, because reporting sick shouldn't be the hardest part of being ill.