Return to work interview form template

UK employment law and best practice

This template is designed to support the process, but the document should be used alongside the relevant HR procedure and applied to the circumstances of the individual case.

A return-to-work discussion is not a statutory requirement after every period of sickness absence, but ACAS recommends that employers consider using return-to-work interviews as part of an effective absence management process. Used properly, they can help employers understand absence, identify support and maintain communication with employees.

ACAS guidance

ACAS recommends that employers use return-to-work meetings to discuss the employee's health, whether they are ready to return and whether any support is needed. It also advises employers to make clear what their sickness absence procedure involves and how absence will be managed. (https://www.acas.org.uk/creating-absence-policies)

The discussion should be supportive and proportionate rather than automatically treated as a formal disciplinary meeting. If a separate formal absence review is required, that should be handled under the organisation's appropriate procedure.

Disability and reasonable adjustments

The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to consider reasonable adjustments for disabled employees in appropriate circumstances. A return-to-work discussion can provide an opportunity to identify whether an employee may need additional support, although managers should not attempt to diagnose medical conditions themselves.

Where absence may be connected to a disability, employers should consider whether their normal absence management arrangements need to be adjusted and whether occupational health or other specialist advice would be useful.

Medical information

Managers should avoid collecting unnecessary medical details during a routine return-to-work meeting. The focus should generally be on the employee's ability to work, any restrictions and what support may be required.

Where medical information is needed, employers should handle it appropriately under UK data protection law and consider whether occupational health advice is more appropriate than asking the manager to obtain detailed medical information directly.

Fit notes and return to work

A fit note may provide information about whether an employee is not fit for work or may be fit with appropriate support. Where an employee can return with adjustments, ACAS guidance encourages employers to consider the recommendations and discuss what practical arrangements may be possible. (https://www.acas.org.uk/fit-notes-and-proof-of-sickness/if-a-fit-note-says-might-be-fit-for-work)

Absence patterns

Return-to-work meetings can help employers identify patterns that may otherwise be missed. However, an individual return-to-work discussion should not automatically result in formal action simply because an employee has been absent.

Where an absence pattern reaches an established review point, employers should consider the employee's individual circumstances, including disability, pregnancy-related absence and other relevant factors, before deciding whether further action is appropriate.