Although every responsible employer will take all sorts of precautions to protect the health and safety of their employees, the simple truth is that it’s impossible to completely avoid sick leave among your workforce.

After all, illness and injury can strike at any time in or out of work, meaning your staff may need to take some time off to recuperate. Sporadic absences like this are only to be expected - but when the sickness or injury is more serious, it can result in a staff member having to take an extended period away from work.

At Lanes Group, we recognise how physically demanding the work we do can be, which is why we understand how important it is to make sure that employees experiencing health problems are given the time they need to ease back into the job after a spell of sickness leave. This is more than just a moral responsibility as an employer - it is also required under law to ensure that staff members are provided with reasonable adjustments to their working arrangements to ensure they are not treated unfairly, when an employee returns to work after a sickness.

With this in mind, here are some of the most essential steps that every employer should consider when helping an employee returning to work after a sickness.

Stay in regular contact with absent employees

As an employer, it should go without saying that supporting staff becomes more difficult when you do not understand what they need from you. This is why it is vital to maintain regular contact with employees during their period of sickness leave.

Naturally, you will want to avoid placing pressure on the worker in question, or to unnecessarily force them to share sensitive information about their condition, but on the other hand, it is easy for staff to feel undervalued if they are absent from work for a lengthy period without anyone from work getting in touch to check up on them.

This is why managers should strive to cultivate an open dialogue based on trust, treating every staff member as an individual. This means contacting them in a way that suits them, and making them feel like they are still an important member of the team. This correspondence will also play a crucial role in helping managers to gain an understanding of what kind of support the staff member might need upon their return to work.

Offer support measures based on a solid return to work plan

If a staff member has been away from work for a while due to a serious injury or illness, they may require specific adjustments and support structures to be put in place to help them get back up to speed.

When the absence has lasted for more than four weeks, this may require a referral to an occupational health provider to provide a more detailed report on any phased return requirements or adjustments the employee may need. Getting this information from an independent medical expert will help you to make an informed decision on your staff member’s needs.

A key priority in all cases will be to arrange a return to work interview as soon as possible, and then putting together a tailored return to work plan for the individual based on this conversation. This should address:

• The worker’s view of their own needs and capability, as well as the opinions of their doctors and other relevant medical professionals
• Potential barriers that could prevent the staff member from working safely or effectively as a result of their condition
• Any possible side effects of their ongoing treatment or medication that could have an effect on their work
• Potential allowances and adjustments that could be made to overcome any hurdles
• How long the staff member estimates they will continue to require this additional support

The nature of these reasonable adjustments will depend on the type of work the individual is required to perform, but common examples include:

• Providing the staff member with special equipment to help them complete their jobs, such as an access ramp, clearer signage, better lighting or modified furniture
• Modify their working patterns or management systems to reduce pressure and give them more control - for instance, by offering them more regular rest breaks
• Relocate their work to more accessible areas, closer to washing and toilet facilities
• Supervise the staff member’s work more closely to provide hands-on support, or give them access to a work buddy or on-site mentor to help them reacclimatise
• Provide additional training or refresher courses where needed

All of these steps can make it easier for a worker to regain their skills and confidence and get reacquainted with the rhythms of the job - while also benefiting from the feeling that their employer is behind them, and committed to supporting them as individuals.

Consider a phased return to work

In some cases, an ill or injured staff member may be keen to get back to work, but will not be ready to accept a full workload straight away. In these instances, it may be preferable for employers to offer them a gradual return to their normal hours over a planned timescale.

This may involve them transitioning gradually from part-time to full-time hours over a period of several weeks, working half days or partial weeks until they are well enough to make a full return; it could also involve a temporary change of hours to ensure they are able to avoid the busiest working periods or the most strenuous responsibilities, or making greater use of flexitime or home working arrangements.

These arrangements should be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the worker in question, as many would prefer to focus on their recovery rather than returning to work on a part-time basis at a lower rate of pay. However, in the right circumstances, they can play a meaningful role in helping ill or injured employees to make a smoother transition back into their full hours.

Keep a proper record of sickness absence

Every business keeps records of who’s off sick for statutory pay purposes, but there are ways to make intelligent use of this information to deliver the best possible support for your staff.

Having a reliable record of sickness absence can help you keep a close eye on which staff members are having regular issues with ill health, or whose frequent absences may suggest lifestyle difficulties or the onset of disability, allowing you to provide them with any support or special accommodations they might need.

Analysing this information can also help your company to accurately assess how effective the support you are providing for ill or injured staff really is, and benchmark this performance against industry standards to make sure you are doing the best you can do on this important measure.