Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

HR practiceSickness absence

Phased return-to-work is most effective way to manage long-term sickness absence

by Nadia Williams 3 Aug 2009
by Nadia Williams 3 Aug 2009

Implementing a phased return to work is the most effective way to manage long-term sickness absence, according to a survey by Personnel Today‘s sister publication IRS Employment Review.

The survey of 173 employers â€“ covering a combined workforce of just over 811,000 people â€“ showed that this was cited as the top method by 40.6% of respondents. The second most-effective method was the preparation of a return-to-work plan with the involvement of the individual, cited by 34.5% of respondents.

At least 70% of respondents used elements from the following eight categories to manage long-term absence:

  • Asking for medical reports (97.6%)
  • Keeping in touch with the absent employee (97%)
  • Making temporary changes to the employee’s work to help them return (95.8%)
  • Preparing a return-to-work plan (92.8%)
  • Using the disciplinary or capability procedure (80.1%)
  • Offering early retirement or access to an insured scheme (72.3%)
  • Making permanent changes to their work to help them stay once they return (70.1%)
  • Commissioning health treatments (32.3%).

Responsibility for managing cases of long-term illness is usually shared between HR and line managers. Managers were supported in this role at 99.3% of the organisations surveyed. Most commonly, they receive advice and support from HR, occupational health (OH) or other sources, such as an employee assistance programme. Just over half of employers (56.4%) also provided line managers with training.

Case management â€“ where a group of stakeholders, typically including the absentee, their line manager, an HR representative and an OH adviser, jointly resolve to get the employee back to work â€“ is widely used by line managers, albeit on a selective basis.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Typically, employers manage to help 90% of staff on long-term sick leave return to work. Respondents stressed the importance of keeping in touch with absent employees, as well as the need for early intervention, and the value of support from an OH adviser.

Long-term absence is usually defined as an absence of four weeks or more. Such absences accounted for 39% of all time lost to absence in 2008.

Nadia Williams

previous post
Excercise fails to move UK adults
next post
More men to get diabetes than women

You may also like

Union rep teacher awarded £370k for unfair dismissal

15 May 2025

Period pain and absence harm women’s pay and...

13 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

Employers struggling to manage rising levels of sickness...

7 Apr 2025

Employers failing to tell cancer carers of their...

31 Mar 2025

HR and businesses respond to Spring Statement

26 Mar 2025

Postman working second job while sick was unfairly...

25 Mar 2025

What do HR specialists enjoy most about their...

21 Mar 2025

UK is only advanced economy where economic inactivity...

20 Mar 2025

What do welfare reforms mean for employers?

19 Mar 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+