How to support employees returning to work after sickness
Absence due to sickness related to health, personal life, and the working environment. We know that the way work is organised, its pace, demands and culture all influence the risk of long-term absence. At the same time, sickness absence tends to be higher in the public sector than in the private sector – even for the same types of jobs – which suggests significant potential for a more systematic approach to both the working environment and the return-to-work process. However, regardless of whether your organisation is public or private, the basic principles for a successful return are the same.
A smooth return is essential
Most people will, at some point, be off sick from work. Illness itself is not unusual – but the way the workplace welcomes the employee back can make a big difference. A well-planned return can boost wellbeing, engagement, and retention, while a chaotic or overly demanding start increases the risk of relapse.
The employee on sick leave often returns experiencing mixed emotions: joy at being back, but also uncertainty about whether they can cope, and concern about how colleagues will react. In this situation, the workplace has a responsible to create a framework that makes it safe to start again – and legitimate to speak up and express concerns along the way.
Prepare the workplace before the return
A successful return begins before the employee’s first day back. When you, as a manager, receive notification that an employee is ready to return, it is beneficial to spend some time preparing.
Start by gaining an overview: How long has the absence lasted? Have there been previous episodes? Are there agreements with medical practitioners, the job centre or others that need to be taken into account? Then consider the work tasks: Which are especially physically or psychologically demanding, and which ones would be suitable for a gentle reintroduction? Also consider how working hours, breaks, and meetings can be adjusted for a short period.
If you have a safety and health representative or workplace safety and health manager, it can be helpful to involve them in identifying good solutions. They often have a keen eye for where job content and organisation can be adapted. Immediate colleagues can be briefly informed that special considerations will apply for a period – without disclosing private health information.
Fact box
Sickness leave and the working environment
– what do we know?
- A significant proportion of absence due to illness is related to a working environment that is not optimal – particularly when absence lasts for more than a few days.
- Improvements in the working environment have the greatest impact on long-term sickness absence – that is, the periods that are most challenging for both employees and the organisation.
- The working environment concerns both physical conditions (strain, ergonomics, accidents) and psychosocial factors (demands, influence, support, meaning, conflict).
Kilde: Working environment and absence due to illness, The Danish Trade Union Confederation
A warm welcome and the first conversation
When the employee returns, it is important that, as their manager, you prioritise a brief, calm conversation. This sets the tone for the entire process.
Begin by welcoming the employee and explaining that the aim is to find a realistic, sustainable return-to-work plan – not to test their resilience. Ask how the employee feels about returning to work: What seems manageable at this stage, and what would be overwhelming?
Then, discuss practicalities such as tasks, meetings, schedules, and collaborative situations where special consideration may be needed initially. Finish by agreeing on a follow-up, for example after one or two weeks, and explain how the employee can raise concerns if it proves to be unsustainable.
Gradual reintroduction and adjustment of duties
For some, an immediate full-time return to normal duties is feasible. For others – especially after prolonged or repeated sickness absence – this is unrealistic and risky. In these cases, a gradual return can be crucial.
This could, for example, mean that the employee temporarily:
- works fewer hours than usual
- starts with the most manageable and core tasks
- is guarded from the most demanding cases, clients, projects, or time periods
- has scheduled breaks or the opportunity to step back temporarily if needed.
Draw up a concrete plan together – preferably in writing – so both parties have a clear record of what has been agreed and when the plan will be reviewed. The key is that both manager and employee consider the plan realistic. Operational demands can tempt a premature acceleration, but too swift a reintegration risks further absence.
Make active use of the safety and health organisation
Workplaces with a safety and health organisation should utilise it proactively. Safety and health representatives and managers can, for example:
- help identify practical solutions for temporary adjustments
- contribute to explaining special agreements to colleagues to ensure these are understood as professionally justified
- help identify patterns in absence that may suggest underlying workplace challenges.
In this way, each return-to-work process becomes not just an isolated case, but also a source of learning on how to improve the way work is organised for everyone.
Community, workplace culture, and prevention
Returning to work is not only about hours and tasks. The social aspect is at least as important. It makes a huge difference whether an individual feels part of the team or as “the ill one” left on the sidelines.
As a manager, you can foster inclusion by encouraging colleagues to involve the returning employee in breaks and informal settings – without making it an obligation. Pay attention to how illness and absence are discussed: Is the tone respectful and matter-of-fact, or filled with speculation and rumours?
It is equally important to view the bigger picture: If several employees struggle with returning, or if there are frequent long-term absences in certain areas, this may signal a need to strengthen the working environment. In such cases, management and the safety and health organisation can use insights from specific cases to develop more robust solutions.
When the workplace works consciously with both effective return-to-work procedures and a healthy everyday working environment, the benefits are twofold: Employees feel secure and valued – and there are fewer periods of absence that take a toll on people, quality, and finances, whether in the private or public sector.
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