It can be difficult to manage the variety of employee health issues that can arise in the workplace. From mental health to physical health conditions that can be caused by or worsened by work, it’s important to cover all bases of employee health and work absences.
Absences from work can be tricky to navigate, but by investing in occupational health, organisations can support staff effectively and ensure that they’re fit, healthy and productive at work.
How can UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing help?
At UKIM, we have a range of services that can help employers with their return-to-work plans for any employees returning from any long-term sick leave. Our services include health surveillance, case management, pre-placement assessments, absence management and more.
We offer end-to-end support for employees so that organisations can thrive with full, healthy, and productive workforces.
What are the benefits of professional OH services?
With expert advice, effective reasonable adjustments, and case management, your business will reap benefits such as reducing absence costs, improved productivity and return on investment, as well as creating a positive working environment that helps with morale, recruitment, and staff retention
Making sure that employees have the right care is very important, even when they’re away from the workplace; it can help staff with health conditions return to work quickly and safely, without jeopardising themselves or others.
The number of people absent from work due to illness is continuously growing and employers can help staff return to work quicker and safely through professional Occupational Health provision, which can quickly show a return on investment (ROI).
UKIM Occupational Health Physician, Alison Tweedie, explains how Occupational Health can help staff in their return to work…
Sickness absence that lasts for more than four weeks is considered long-term. In the first quarter of 2024 there was a peak of 2.82 million people not working due to long-term sickness in the UK and this figure has risen considerably since 2019, when it was just over 2 million.
Returning to work after a prolonged period of absence can generate feelings of anxiety and apprehension. In my practice, I frequently hear individuals say they feel worried they will have forgotten how to do their job, or worried things will have changed significantly during their absence. Individuals are also concerned that a return to work will not be successful, and that they will default to sickness absence.
A robust return-to-work plan, agreed with management prior to the return date, can be helpful in alleviating some of the anxieties surrounding a return to work.
Occupational Health services can provide a tailored plan to support a return to work with the aim of a successful rehabilitation and ongoing sustained attendance at work. Factors such as the nature and duration of sickness absence as well as the requirements of the specific role are considered.
A return-to-work plan may include a period of modification to working hours and duties, dependent on the reason for sickness absence. It may also include a period of protected time for reorientation to the work environment including changes to process and procedure, completing mandatory training and (re)familiarising with colleagues.
Some workplaces can support a period where the individual is not taking on any workload and is only observing or perhaps working with additional support within a ‘buddy scheme’.
It may be that following return to work an individual requires ongoing treatment to manage their health condition(s) and it is important that a flexible approach is considered to enable attendance and support their health in the longer term.
Individuals returning from long-term sickness absence may have long-term health conditions, and supportive adjustments to their role may be required in the longer term. Recommendations for adjustments and likely timeframes may be provided following an Occupational Health assessment.
A return to work can be seen as the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle towards a full recovery as it signifies a return to usual daily life and routine as it was before illness. In my opinion, an individually tailored and supportive approach is most likely to maximise success.
