RETURN TO WORK INTERVIEW RECORD

Name: First Day of Absence: 16th October, 2008

Date: Duration of Absence:

Absence Reporting Yes

Current Lost Time Rate:
Rules Followed: No
Number of Periods of
Interviewer:
Absence in past 6 months:

Notes:

Action Agreed/Taken:
 Index

RETURN TO WORK INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Category A questions - for employees with acceptable absence history

1. What has been the matter?
2. At what time did you first feel unwell/did the problem arise?
3. Did you see your Doctor? What medication/action did they prescribe?
4. Have you suffered this before?
5. Do you think it could be work related? (If applicable)
6. Are you fully recovered?

Category B questions - for employees who have breached the Absence Reporting
Rules
1. Ask all the questions from Category A, plus:
2. When and how did you notify the Unit of your absence?
3. Can you please explain the requirements of the Absence Reporting Procedure?
4. Do you understand this procedure and why the Company has it?
5. Why did you fail to follow the procedure?

Make sure the employee clearly understands what is required of them and what
action the Company will take if they fail to follow the reporting rules. If the Absence
Reporting Rules are broken on more than one occasion, contact your HR Dept to
discuss whether or not more formal action should be considered.

Category C questions - for employees with absence levels above average or

trigger rates
1. Ask all the questions from Category A, plus:
2. Are you aware of the Company absence target/your personal rate?
3. What effect do you think absence has on the Unit and your work colleagues?
4. What can you do to improve your attendance at work in future?
5. Is the illness/injury likely to reoccur?
 Index

Contact your HR Representative to discuss whether or not more formal action

should be considered.

B26(f) Return to Work Interviews

Upon return to work, following a period of absence, employees are required to fully
co-operate in a return to work interview with their manager. A record of the
interview will then be held in the employee’s personnel file or unit absence file.

Before the return to work interview:

• Check the facts. Consider how much time the employee has had off
and the reasons for their absence in the past 12 months.
• Be aware of any absence patterns emerging (e.g. days either side of
public holidays, Mondays and Fridays, etc).
• Make time on the employee’s first day back at work to hold the
interview in an environment that is free from interruptions.

During the return to work interview:

• Refer to the Return to Work Interview Questions at the end of this
section for guidance on the type of questions that should be asked.
• Establish the reason for the employee’s
absence. TIP:
If a manager has grounds to be
• Identify and raise any issues such as a concerned about the absence of
high absence rates or failure to comply an employee and/or has reason
with the absence reporting rules. to believe there may be a need
to offer additional support to
• Check that the employee is fit to return to them, additional information can
work and clarify any future implications, be requested during the Return
likelihood of reoccurrence, subsequent to Work Interview (after
appointments, etc. discussion and agreement with
the HR Dept.).
• Complete a Return to Work Interview
Record.
 Index

B26(e) Calculating Lost Time Rates

To establish the absence rate of an employee the manager needs to calculate the
total possible working days (by taking the employee’s annual holiday entitlement
and adding Bank Holidays - usually 8 per year and then subtracting this total from
the total number of days worked in the year).

Example:

20 days holiday + 8 days statutory holidays = 28 days

Works 5 days per week x 52 weeks = 260 days
Total possible days available = 260 – 28
= 232 possible working days

They will then need to add up the number of day’s absence (excluding holidays) in
the last year.

Once the manager has these figures, the lost time rate can be calculated (showing
the percentage of total time available that has been lost).

Example:

Total Absence Days in the Period

X 100 = Lost Time Rate
Possible Working Days

For example, if an employee works 5 days a week and has had 10 days sickness
in the year, the percentage lost days is:

10 Days Sickness
X 100 = 4.31%
232 Possible Working Days
 Index

B26(f) Return to Work Interviews

Upon return to work, following a period of absence, employees are required to fully
co-operate in a return to work interview with their manager. A record of the
interview will then be held in the employee’s personnel file or unit absence file.

Before the return to work interview:

• Check the facts. Consider how much time the employee has had off
and the reasons for their absence in the past 12 months.
• Be aware of any absence patterns emerging (e.g. days either side of
public holidays, Mondays and Fridays, etc).
• Make time on the employee’s first day back at work to hold the
interview in an environment that is free from interruptions.

During the return to work interview:

• Refer to the Return to Work Interview Questions at the end of this
section for guidance on the type of questions that should be asked.
• Establish the reason for the employee’s
absence. TIP:
If a manager has grounds to be
• Identify and raise any issues such as a concerned about the absence
high absence rates or failure to comply of an employee and/or has
with the absence reporting rules. reason to believe there may be
a need to offer additional
• Check that the employee is fit to return to support to them, additional
information can be requested
work and clarify any future implications,
during the Return to Work
likelihood of reoccurrence, subsequent Interview (after discussion and
appointments, etc. agreement with the HR Dept.).
• Complete a Return to Work Interview Record.