How to conduct a return-to-work interview: essential questions and steps

Supporting an employee’s return to work after time off is an important role for a business and its HR team. The reasons staff need time off vary from sickness to family bereavement, and require sensitive handling.

A return-to-work interview helps employers ensure the employee is fit to return and complete their duties. It helps reduce the need for future absences by providing clear guidelines and enables employers to identify and address any issues that could cause future absences.

Following set procedures when handling employees return to work provides clarity and transparency and ensures a potentially difficult situation is managed correctly for both parties.

In this article we will cover why a return-to-work interview is vital for both employers and employees, as well as guiding you through how to conduct one.

What is a return-to-work interview?

A return-to-work interview is when an employer meets with an employee after an absence, usually, but not always, due to sickness or medical reasons. It could also follow a period of bereavement, or a prolonged absence including for a sabbatical, or for maternity leave or paternity leave.

The meeting should involve a company HR representative and/or a line manager and the employee.

This may all feel formal, but the setup provides employers with a structured process to manage and reduce future absences, and provides the employee with a fair and sensitive return-to-work process.

To create a transparent and fair process, businesses should create a standardised return to work form for an employee to complete as part of the interview.

The interview may include questions to find out the cause of the absence if further detail is required; whether the issue has been resolved; whether the employee can now perform their duties; any required changes to or short-term reduction of the employees’ duties, and if there are any issues that means a repeat absence is likely.

Is it a legal requirement to have one?

In the UK it is not a legal requirement to conduct return to work interviews for staff returning after a period of absence. But, all businesses have a duty of care for employees’ wellbeing and health and safety in the workplace.

This means there are no official guidelines about when a return-to-work interview should take place. The best practice is to hold the meeting on the day the employee returns to work.

When conducting an interview, HR managers must treat all employees fairly and consistently and ensure they consider and follow employment law when considering asking employees sensitive questions.

What are the benefits?

A return-to-work interview benefits employers because they gain valuable insights into how to manage staff absences. Employees benefit from support when an illness or other issue may affect their ability to return to full work.

“Return to work meetings help the transition back to work go smoothly for both the employee and company,” said ecommerce marketeer and HR specialist Josh Neuman, founder of Chummy Tees.

“Employees get a chance to discuss ongoing health problems and address any workplace issues that led to time off. Employers learn what causes people to miss work and find ways to improve the workplace.”

For employers

• Employers can use the structure of the interviews to understand underlying causes of absence and introduce improvements to reduce absenteeism
• By providing employees with support, employers are more likely to have an engaged, motivated and productive workforce
• A return-to-work interview provides an opportunity to welcome employees back and provide handover details so they can get back to work efficiently

For employees

• Return to work interviews allow employees to discuss sensitive subjects relating to staff absences in a formal environment
• Employees can discuss any work-related issues or concerns that may contribute to staff absences
• If time off is caused directly from an issue at work, a return-to-work interview gives staff the chance to request changes to their role or working conditions
• Employees can feel valued by managers taking the time to discuss their health and wellbeing

The essential steps for conducting a return-to-work interview

Employers need to strike a balance between using a return-to-work interview to reduce absenteeism, with supporting and motivating employees who may have health or other issues that cause absences. The leadership styles of HR staff and line managers should be objective, and communication skills are vital when conducting a return-to-work interview.

There are several steps required for an effective return-to-work interview.

Create a welcoming environment

A return-to-work interview is not supposed to intimidate or frighten an employee. It is a two-way process to support employees and address concerns to reduce absences from the workplace. Select a quiet room where the meeting will not be disturbed.

Employees can be apprehensive about returning to work and explaining their absence so employers should be welcoming and adopt a positive tone during the interview to reduce employee’s anxiety and promote an open discussion.

Discuss the employee’s absence

Inform staff that a return-to-work interview is used for all returning employees after significant absence, and that the agreed outcomes will be documented.

If it isn’t yet known, ask why the employee was absent; whether issues in the workplace were a factor; if they saw a GP, and give them time to explain the reasons and discuss any underlying issues that could cause future problems.

Address the employee’s readiness to return to work

Some employees try to return to work before they are ready, either out of a sense of duty to their workload or to avoid accumulating sick days. Try to find out if the employee is actually ready to return.

Be careful though, as reasons for absence may be sensitive. Employees aren’t legally obliged to give specific details of their absence if the information is private or sensitive.

Ask how they are feeling now, if they are ready to return, and need any additional support to perform their job.

Address work related concerns

By drawing out any underlying issues earlier in the return-to-work interview, employers can find out if there are any underlying issues from work causing the absence.

There could be challenges with their role, workplace bullying or family issues that could be solved by offering flexible working options.

“Ask if anything at work led to their time off,” said Neuman. “Mention any changes to their role while they were gone, and find out if they need help doing their job right.”

Discuss any adjustments or support required

If work-related concerns emerge from the interview, find out if the employee needs support or minor adjustments to their role to reduce the likelihood of absence and can perform the role. These are known as ‘reasonable adjustments.’

Identify any adjustments and any aspects of an employee’s condition that affect the work they can do. Employers may need to find out more from a specialist if there is a particular condition that may have an impact on work, before agreeing changes. Collaborating with the employee, decide how to implement any agreed changes.

Review and reinforce workplace policies

The return-to-work interview is an important process for a business’s HR Officer, so it should support and reinforce workplace and HR policies. It should also be flexible enough to trigger reviews should new issues arise that impact absenteeism.

Close the interview positively

The interview should offer an opportunity for both sides to explain the reason for absence, to address concerns and go some way to creating a plan to implement any changes required.

Employers should ask the employee if there are other issues to be discussed. Both parties should sign off the notes to the meeting. Employers should check the wellbeing of employees a few weeks after the interview and check the progress of implementing agreed changes.

Questions to ask during a return-to-work interview

The exact questions an employer should ask an employee returning to work after absence depends on the reason for the absence, and employers should take this into account.

As we have seen, the return-to-work interview process can involve drawing out underlying causes for absence, so flexibility and strong communication skills are required.

Despite the individual nature for selecting the right questions to ask each returning employee, certain information is needed, so a general question structure may include the following:

• Begin by asking the employee how they feel now
• Are they well enough to return to work?
• Did they see a GP?
• Is it an ongoing condition?
• Is the reason for the absence likely to happen again in the future?

The second set of questions should cover work-related issues that may have contributed to the employee’s absence:

• Ask if anything at work has contributed to their absence and if the business can do anything to stop it recurring
• Find out if the absence is due to a disability or maternity issue. These need to be recorded separately to other illnesses
• Ask if there are any ‘reasonable adjustments’ that could be made to the working environment, their role or working hours to help them

The final part of a return-to-work interview should cover what happens next, and ensuring the employee’s concerns have been addressed:

• Ask if the employee has any questions
• Agree next steps, which may include drafting objectives that capture any planned changes

What happens after the interview?

After a return-to-work interview is complete the meeting should be documented and checked and signed by an employer representative and the employee.

Any actions or changes to the employee’s role should be outlined, discussed and agreed by both parties.

Employers should initiate a process to implement changes, documented and reviewed regularly.

Conclusion

A return-to-work interview is a valuable tool for employers’ HR teams to adopt and use consistently for all employees returning to work.

By having a set, agreed and trusted return-to-work process in place, staff feel valued and supported. They are free to discuss any issues that could affect their ability to attend work or complete their job effectively. This is positive for both employers and employees.

Find out more about the rules for return to work interviews.

Benjamin Salisbury - business journalist

Benjamin Salisbury is an experienced writer, editor and journalist who has worked for national newspapers, leading consumer websites like This Is Money and MoneySavingExpert.com, business analysts including Environment Analyst, AIM Group and written articles for professional bodies and financial companies. He covers news, personal finance, business, startups and property.