As organisations strive to maintain productivity and support their workforce, return to work interviews play a pivotal role in managing employee absences. In this blog, we’ll delve into the significance and benefits of a return to work interview and address the essential question of ‘when should a return to work interview be done?’

Employers and managers often underestimate the importance of return to work interviews, seeing them as an unnecessary administrative hurdle that only serve to prolong the absence management process.

In reality, return to work interviews are an essential part of managing attendance and, done right, can be an effective way of reintegrating employees and reducing bogus absences.

There are a number of reasons why employers shy away from conducting return to work interviews. You might be unsure how to go about it, or assume that it needs to be a lengthy, formal procedure. This can be off-putting, especially for time-strapped managers and HR teams, and it can be tempting to let the employee get back to work with a few pleasantries exchanged.

In fact, return to work interviews can be as simple and straightforward as an informal meeting over coffee between an employee and their line manager. What matters is that they offer an opportunity to check in with the employee and address any issues before they get stuck back into their work.

What is a return to work interview?

As the name suggests, a return to work interview is a meeting held with an employee after a period of absence.

The primary purpose of a return to work interview is to welcome the employee back, discuss the reasons for their absence and confirm that they are fit to attend work. It is also an opportunity to bring the employee up to speed with any changes that have occurred during their absence, develop a return to work plan (which might include making reasonable adjustments), and identify any underlying health concerns that need to be addressed. From a business perspective, return to work interviews are perhaps the best tool managers have at their disposal to reduce employees’ absence levels, as we will discuss later.

How to prepare for a return to work interview

Before conducting a return to work interview, identify a private room where the meeting can take place without interruption, consider whether it would be best to conduct the meeting over the phone or face to face, and gather any relevant information you might need at hand, such as the employee’s absence record or fit note.

It is also a good idea to plan a loose structure for the interview to ensure all bases are covered. Examples of return to work interview questions include:

• What caused the absence? Was work a contributing factor?
• Is this an ongoing or recurring condition?
• Did you see a GP? What was the outcome?
• How are you feeling now? Do you feel able to return?
• Could it happen again? Is there anything that can be done to prevent recurrence?
• What adjustments might help facilitate a return to work? (For example, can changes be made to their working pattern, physical work environment and/or role?)
• What support do they need to get back on track? (They might need refresher training, a prioritised action plan, etc.)

Take notes during the meeting, including the outcomes agreed. As well as helping to formulate a return to work action plan, this will ensure the employee’s time off has been recorded accurately.