Return to Work
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for Managers

While your employee is away on leave/unable to work, it’s important that they be given time and space to focus on their health and recovery, and to get the help they need. This may mean they need, and want, to have little contact with their workplace so they can focus on their recovery.  

Nonetheless, research has consistently shown that for many people, having little or no contact from their workplace while they are off work can cause them to feel like  

• No one cares
• People don’t really believe they are ill,   
• People in the workplace are holding it against them that they aren’t at work.   

Having some contact with their workplace during the time they are off work plays an important role in helping them feel

• reassured that they have not been forgotten or abandoned  
• that they are still part of the team  
• that people care about how they are doing, and whether they are ok  
• that people know about their situation, and, ideally, also empathise and understand that they are going through a difficult time  

In fact, “early, regular and sensitive contact” while people are away from work can actually play a key role in helping them return to work more quickly. 

Whenever you discuss an employee’s mental health with them, it is very important that you  

• clearly explain why you need any information that you request or require about their health, so that they understand why you want or need it. If they don’t understand, or misunderstand, this could cause them additional stress or anxiety.  

• reassure them that anything that discuss with you about their mental health will be treated confidentially, unless withholding that information presents an immediate danger to them or to others. 

Contact when an employee first goes on leave   

Who makes contact?

When your employee first goes on leave, there are a few things you will need to know. The first, and most important, is whether you are able to contact them yourself. This is usually preferable, as  

• it means you and they can work things out between you and   
• they know you are supporting them while they are on leave  

However, if there are or have been, difficulties or conflict in your relationship with your employee then it may be better for the contact to come from someone else (such as the HR manager).  

It may also be that in your organisation there are people who are formally responsible for maintaining contact with people who are on away on sick leave, especially if they are on worker’s compensation. If that is the case, then its important that you know what issues they contact the employee about, and what you might contact the employee about. For instance, if they contact the employee about leave arrangements and support for the person’s recovery, you may just have contact with your employee to keep in touch and let them know you are thinking about them. 

Who can be contacted?

The second thing to determine is whether your employee is willing and able to be contacted themselves. If the employee is not well enough to be contacted directly, or prefers not to be, then you will need to know whether there might be someone else - such as a partner, friend or family member – who can keep in contact instead. Your employee will need to explicitly consent to that person being contacted by the organisation.

What you may need to make contact about 

Their leave arrangements  

When your employee is on sick leave, or is going to take sick leave, they need to let your organisation know why they are absent, how long they may be absent for and, if relevant, when they may be able to provide an update about their situation. So if this has not yet been done, you may need to contact them to get these details.  

What you can, and cannot, tell other people about their situation  

You will also need to how much (if anything) people in the workplace can be told about why they are on leave.  

If they do not want people to be told anything at all, you will need to work out with them what you will say instead (eg ‘they are away on leave for personal reasons’ or ‘they are away on sick leave at the moment’).  

 If people in the workplace are to be told the person is away on sick leave, then you should also work out with them how to handle situations where people ask if they can send flowers, cards or visit the person. For example, the employee might just want you to say ‘they’ve asked if people can just give them some privacy at the moment so they can focus on getting better’. Or they might be comfortable that people can contact them at home or on their private contact details while they are away from work.     

What help and support they need or want right now, and how the organisation can provide that. 

Some people will feel best supported by being given space and time to recover and have as little contact with their workplace as they can while that is occurring. Others will need and want to have some contact so they feel kept in the loop. And of course those wants and needs may change over time.  

How they would prefer to maintain contact while they are away  

This includes working out with them  

• who they would prefer to have as their main contact with the organisation while they are on leave  
• how that contact will occur 

If the main contact will be you, then you can work out with them how you and they should keep in touch while they are on leave, such as whether that is best done via text message or a phone call.   

They may, alternatively, prefer to maintain contact with a workplace friend, colleague or other contact (such as the HR person) who can update you as needed.  

Contact during their leave  

You may be feeling a bit unsure or even reluctant to contact your employee while they are on sick leave due to mental health problems. Managers sometimes fear this will be perceived as harassment. Or they are unsure what to say. Or they are worried they will make someone feel worse.

Key tips;

• Make regular contact
• Before you make contact, develop a plan of what the contact is for and what you want to find out or communicate to them
• Check when you can chat 
• Be supportive
• Agree on the next contact
• Make a note of when you had contact, who was involved, what was discussed, and any actions agreed. This can be valuable for reference and to ensure things get done.

If your employee is submitting. or has submitted a worker's compensation claim, there may be other issues and conditions around how you can contact them and why. You can find out more about worker's compensation process, and the requirements of that process, here:

WorkSafe Tasmania | How to make a workers compensation claim

References

Broughton, K. (2024). Return to work from physical and psychological injury (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Tasmania, Hobart.

McInnes, K. (2018). An exploratory study of the potential interactions between job accommodations, supervisor competencies, employee stress and return to work outcomes following physical injury: Australian worker’s experiences (Unpublished research dissertation). University of Tasmania, Hobart.

Return to Work. (2023a). Return to work: Topics for employees. Retrieved from https://returntowork.workplacementalhealth.net.au/

Return to Work. (2023b). Return to work: Topics for supervisors. Retrieved from https://returntowork.workplacementalhealth.net.au/

Woods, M., & Mathewson, M. (2021). Managing and mitigating suffering in the return-to-work process. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 805855. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.805855