Although many of us may have heard of return to work meetings (or back to work meetings) employees and employers are often confused about what the purpose of a return to work meeting is and the benefits that return to work meetings have for both the employee and the organisation, if carried out properly. This blog is intended to answer the questions above and to set out potential next steps.

The purpose of return to work meetings

There are many reasons to have a return to work meeting as soon as the period of absence has ended.  Here are 5 of them:

1. To understand the reasons for the absence

It is important to know the reasons for the absence as this is likely to inform next steps. For example, was the absence part of a pattern? Was it disability related? It would be a mistake not to ask the employee what the reason was, and a missed opportunity if time was not taken to understand the situation. Return to work meetings offer the organisation the chance to gain further information each time an absence occurs. If used properly, return to work meetings can also improve communication because there is a dialogue, and everyone involved is participating in the process.

It is important that the employee knows that a return to work meeting is not part of the disciplinary process. If this is not made clear, the employee is likely to feel concerned and be less likely to engage. Training in this area may be useful to ensure the process is gone through correctly.

2. To ensure all employees are treated fairly and consistently

It is important that both employees and managers know what is required in such circumstances. There may well be guidance in the form of a written policy or procedure. If there is such a policy in place, it should be followed consistently. For example, it would be inconsistent if some employees had a return to work meeting but others did not, or that notes were taken during return to work meetings concerning some employees but not others.

Employers often use trigger points as part of the process of managing absence: take various action once particular levels of absence have been reached. However, care should be taken when using trigger points, and information gathered during return to work meetings can be helpful to both the employee and employer in terms of showing what happened and how decisions were reached.  Further information on the topic of using trigger points as part of the absence management process can be found in our blog how many sick days before a disciplinary

3. To reduce sickness absence in future

It is in the interests of both the employee concerned and the organisation to reduce future sickness absence, but what is often missing from return to work meetings is discussion around what steps could be taken to improve the situation.

 4. To comply with legal obligations

As referred to above, if the employee is disabled there are various obligations on the employer. For example, depending on the circumstances, it may well be necessary to explore adjustments to remove the difficulties caused by the disability. The range of potential adjustments is broad but, for example, may include modifying the role, providing equipment. permitting the employee to change their contracted hours etc. It will be necessary to consider whether or not such adjustments would be reasonable in the circumstances. It may be particularly useful to obtain professional advice prior to making decisions relating to, for example, reasonable adjustments because an employee may bring a claim of discrimination at the Employment Tribunal.

5. To agree next steps

Another common mistake at return to work meetings is not to properly consider next steps. As said above, reasonable adjustments may be needed in order to reduce future absences. If that is so, next steps should be agreed with timeframes included.

Return to work meetings that are carried out effectively are likely to meet the purposes referred to above but, if done poorly, those meetings could have a damaging effect on the organisation.

Plotkin & Chandler works exclusively in the areas of HR and employment law and assists both employees and employers.

If you are an employee going through the sickness absence process and need advice, or you believe that you have been treated unfairly and would like to discuss bringing an Employment Tribunal claim we would be pleased to hear from you.

If you are an employer, we offer training and advice on all aspects of absence management. In addition, if you are facing a Tribunal claim we can help.

Please contact us on 020 3923 8616 or via email on info@plotkinandchandler.com to discuss your needs and the ways in which we can help