A guide to managing an employees return to work after a long-term absence

Once an employee lets you know that they think they are ready to return to work after a long absence, your instinct might be to have them come back straight away and assume that everything will return to normal.

There are, however, some things to think about to make sure that their return is as smooth as possible for both you and them.

Medical Advice

First of all, you will need medical evidence that they are genuinely well enough to return to their role.

Their GP or other medical practitioner will need to confirm that they are either well enough for all of their duties or that they need adjustments made.

If they have not been provided that information, then you should ask for it.

You cannot assume that they are returning under medical advice.

Some employees may, for example, want to return to work against medical advice for financial reasons when they actually need more rest or recovery time.

The adjustments suggested by the medical practitioner can take the form of a phased return to work, which is when the employee does fewer days or hours at first to build themselves up to a full working schedule.

If the GP proposes this, you will need to consider whether you are able to accommodate that exactly as directed or whether you’ll need to refine it.

Depending on your workplace and the employee’s role, it may not be possible to follow the suggested pattern, but we recommend that you try and accommodate them if your working practices allow for it.

The adjustments can also take the form of changes to the workplace or additional equipment to enable the employee to complete their role.

Initially, the GP will confirm that there are adjustments required – these can include arranging a parking space, obtaining a chair with lumbar support or reducing travelling duties.

You can consider from the outset whether what the GP has suggested is practical and feasible for a business of your size.

Return to Work Meeting

We recommend that you arrange a “return to work” meeting with them to ensure that you and they have all the information needed for a successful return.

In the meeting, you should make clear from the outset that the purpose of the meeting is to support the employee’s return.

We suggest that you plan what you discuss at this meeting in line with the following points so as to ensure that it is effective and that you discuss everything that is relevant to facilitate an effective return.

Discussion Point 1: Support and Adjustments

This is a good opportunity to establish whether any additional support is required for the employee.

This could either be training that is needed, counselling for personal problems, or the resolution of a workplace problem.

They themselves may suggest other practical changes that can be made that will enable you to manage their return.

There is no automatic right for any suggested adjustments to be implemented.

However, if the employee has a disability, the company will be under an obligation to implement reasonable adjustments.

What is reasonable will depend on a number of factors, including the building that you work in, the facilities available, the resources that the business has, and whether the role lends itself to the proposed adjustments.

You may need to take advice from an occupational health advisor on the best way to facilitate the return to work.

Again, this option will depend on the resources available to you.

The meeting will also need to discuss which stage the business has reached in terms of the absence management procedures that you have been using.

You should explain the implications that any further absences will have.

Discussion Point 2 (if applicable): Change of Role

If it seems that the employee is reluctant to go back to their substantive job, you can discuss with them whether it is feasible for them to be assigned to an alternative position.

Again, this will depend on your organisation and the vacancies that may exist.

There is no automatic right for an employee to be offered this, but if it is an adjustment that you can make without causing the business problems, then it may be a good solution.

Discussion Point 3 (if applicable): Changes to the Work

If there have been significant changes to the workplace or a turnover of staff, then it is a good idea to let the employee know about this when you meet with them.

If they will be working under a new manager or have a different client base, there will be a period of adjustment whilst they orientate themselves to the new work that is required of them.

If there are proposed changes to be made in the workplace that may affect them, for example, a restructuring, then it is also a good practice to advise the employee of this from the outset.

Discussion Point 4: Additional Absences

You should ask the employee to confirm whether they will need any further absences, e.g. for follow-up medical treatment or recuperation time.

If they do, then that should be noted – it does not mean that they are not ready to return to work at this point, but it will mean that you have other potential absences to manage in the future.

If, for example, you know that there is going to be a week where the employee will be absent again, you can start to arrange cover for that week from the outset.

Discussion Point 5: Holiday Pay

Provided the employee has certified any sick leave, they will have accrued leave for the entire time they have been off.

It may be that there is a significant amount of leave that they have “banked.”

Any leave accrued must be taken within 15 months of the end of the leave year in which it accrued.

We would suggest that you consider how to manage this to avoid them trying to book leave at a point that is not suitable due to demands on the company.

In the meeting, you can discuss what their plans for taking a holiday are – if they have considered them.

You can propose days for them to take off as annual leave to make sure that it does not inconvenience you.

Sometimes, it works well for a person to come back on a phased return, with some days being workdays and some being annual leave.

Follow Up

Once you have held the return-to-work meeting, you should follow it up with written confirmation to the employee summarising what you discussed, what was agreed, and any next steps.

Doing this will prevent any misunderstandings later.

We would recommend that the record of the conversation should be placed in the employee’s personnel file in case it needs to be relied on later.