07th November 2009 Back to work – how to conduct a good interview
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We’ve long believed that the return to work interview is a vital component in the drive to reduce sickness absence. So much so, that part of our Day 1 Absence Management service (Click through to day 1 absence management programme page)
involves sending prompts and reminders to line managers to encourage them to conduct an RTW as soon as possible after the employee returns to work; preferably within 48 hours.
Having said that, every organisation is different, and will therefore have its own format for the RTW interview. Here are a few elements that you should always bear in mind when formulating yours:
- Hold the meeting as soon as possible; even if it’s a very informal affair lasting just a few minutes, the sooner the better for your records, and for settling the employee back into work
- Treat every case individually. If you’re dealing with someone who has returned after two days off with a cold when they’ve had a perfect record for ten years, you won’t need to cover the same ground as with someone returning after major surgery, or from their twentieth absence this year
- Be fully prepared. Is this a straightforward case, or do you need to involve someone from HR? If this absence was due to an injury, did it occur at work? Are there legal implications? Make sure you have all the necessary information, but ensure that you hold the interview within the 48 hour window
- Have a set form to follow – the structure helps to make the data collected consistent, and avoids any embarrassment over the questions that need to be asked – there’s safety in following a proscribed format
- Look back at older forms for this employee to see if there is a pattern, or whether every absence was due to a different cause. Patterns can be highly informative
- Express genuine concern about the employee’s welfare. There’s always a genuine reason for absence, even if it isn’t the most apparent one. If you suspect the explanation given isn’t genuine, give the employee every opportunity to tell you the underlying cause for their absence
- Listen as much as you talk. This could be your employee’s only chance to tell you about something you’re not aware of that’s affecting their work
- Use the opportunity to discuss any future implications of the absence for the employee’s role. Do they need lighter duties for a while? The earlier you can flag up a problem, the more you can help to ensure their future wellbeing; providing physiotherapy for a musculoskeletal condition, for example, or counselling for stress
- Ensure that the information is collated centrally and promptly. If your employee is close to reaching a trigger point for frequent absences, you need to know and act quickly to get to the bottom of it and alleviate the situation
