How to support an employee’s return to work

If someone has to stop working because of a disability, physical illness, or their mental health, it’s crucial to support them on their return to work.  

A supportive employer can help to ease people’s concerns and sort out any issues – making the transition smoother for the staff member. For organisations, supporting people’s return to work can reduce recurring absence and help to keep valuable employees. 

Statistics show why it is important for employers to have return-to-work procedures in place. For example, in the UK, one in four people experience a mental health problem, around 16 million people have a disability, and almost half of the population have a long-standing health problem. And the number of people who are on long-term sickness is high, with over 2.5 million on long term sickness leave as of July 2023. 

What the law says about returning to work

According to employment lawyers DavidsonMorris, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers have a duty to look after the health, safety, and welfare of staff at work.  

Even though the act doesn’t cover supporting an employee on their return to work, providing adequate support is part of the employer’s statutory duty to look after someone’s health and wellbeing. 

This article outlines the steps you should take when supporting a staff member’s return to work. 

Put return to work policies in place 

All employers must make reasonable adjustments for staff so they are not at a disadvantage when doing their jobs. This includes someone with a disability, a physical illness or a mental health condition. Making a reasonable adjustment means making changes to remove or reduce a disadvantage.  

Examples of reasonable adjustments include finding a different way to do something or making changes to the workplace. 

Offer a phased return to work 

Depending on the person’s circumstances, it may be appropriate to offer a phased return to work. This is when someone who has been away from work gradually builds up to returning full time. This could mean returning to work on reduced hours, doing different work to normal, or having less work to do. 

ACAS offers advice on how long a phased return to work should last.  

Check on people’s health and wellbeing 

Meet regularly with the staff member to see how they are getting on. This will help you to monitor their health and wellbeing.  

DavidsonMorris says that over time, a staff member may start to feel under pressure but feel reluctant to say they are finding things difficult. Encourage an open and honest working culture in your organisation and let staff know you can put extra measures in place to support them. 

Find further information about returning to work

There are a number of websites you can look at for more information about supporting a staff member to return to work. Some are: