Return to work conversation

Supportive return to work conversations encourage employees to raise any concerns they may have regarding their health and help identify any support that might help them at work and/or prevent further sickness absence. Managers are advised to talk to employees promptly following return from a period of sickness absence, regardless of the length of the sickness absence.

During return to work conversations, managers should:

• welcome the employee back to work;
• enquire about their health and whether they are feeling well enough for work;
• establish whether any assistance or support can be given to enable the employee to remain in work and avoid escalation;
• understand the reason for the absence(s), discuss any concerns and/or raise any identified pattern of absence and where applicable;
• identify what steps the employee has taken to investigate the cause and if necessary what preventative measures they are taking to avoid the absence/sickness re-occurring;
• discuss options for support such as the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – Spectrum Life, Mental Health First Aiders, plus resources and guidance found on the Colleague Wellbeing web pages. The manager may also want to discuss with the employee the guidance and advice available from Occupational Health via a management referral;
• update the employee on developments at work that have occurred during their absence;
• ensure that the correct information (dates/reason) is recorded for absence recording purposes;
• ensure that all self-certification and medical fit note/certification requirements have been met;
• discuss any annual leave entitlement and the carrying over of any statutory leave (where relevant for returning from long term sickness absence);
• identify any problems - whether work-based or domestic - at an early stage.

Conversations should be handled sensitively and with due consideration of confidentiality and take place in a private location. Any notes taken of these conversations should be shared with the employee so that they have a record of what was discussed and any actions agreed by both parties.

Managers should discuss any concerns they have over levels of attendance with an employee as soon as possible, including any factors/concerns impacting attendance. Initial concerns over attendance can often be resolved by the manager intervening at an early stage as part of their normal management responsibilities. This is not a stage in the Sickness Absence Procedure, it is part of the standard day-to-day relationship between managers and the people they manage.