Jarlath Duffy - Change from Within

The Employer's Perspective

The long-term absence of an employee naturally puts pressure on an organisation, both in terms of the costs of covering the absence and also in maintaining the morale of team workers. Achieving the smooth return to work of an employee who has been absent for some time requires early steps to be taken to establish a non-threatening rapport with the individual, and this should be undertaken with care and sensitivity. It should be the responsibility of the line manager to keep in contact with the employee, as it's important that the absent employee feels valued but not pressured into returning to work before they are completely recovered.

Once it has been established that an employee is well enough to return to work, it's imperative that a phased return is planned. This should involve the employee's GP, HR officer or line manager, together with an external mediator if there are unresolved workplace issues that still need to be addressed. The phased return should include a short induction programme and any necessary retraining. Workloads at this stage should be carefully monitored , as too much too soon could result in a crisis of confidence and a relapse; while too small a workload can have the effect of making the employee feel superfluous.

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