Return-to-work plan

Function-Strength Energy, absence and return to work

A phased return in predictable steps, with fixed review points.

Returning after absence with nothing about the work changed is a repeat with a later date. A good plan builds up in predictable steps, starts with work that gives energy and has fixed moments to adjust. The pace follows the fit note and the advice from occupational health. This plan makes that pace predictable, and sits alongside your return-to-work meeting and your absence policy.

When to use it

  • Someone is returning after absence

Tip

Discuss with occupational health whether it helps to spread the hours over more days. If someone needs a day to recover after a working day, talk about the pace again with occupational health. And do not ask what someone can or cannot do: the employee can tell you themselves, and occupational health advises.

What you fill in

  • Team member's name
  • First working day
  • The pace matches the fit note and the advice from occupational health
  • Phased return, week by week
  • Tasks to start with
  • What we are not doing (yet)
  • Workplace and circumstances
  • Who is the point of contact, and when are they available?
  • What colleagues know, and what they do not
  • Fixed moments to adjust together
  • If it is harder than expected

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Example result

Made with the example in the tool. With your own details you get your own version, ready to copy.

Return-to-work plan: Megan First working day: Monday 7 December The pace matches the fit note and the advice from occupational health. If that advice changes, we will adjust this plan. Phased return • Week 1: Monday and Thursday 9:30 to 11:30, with a 15-minute break after an hour • Week 2: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:30 to 11:30 • Week 3: four mornings from 9:30 to 12:00 • Week 4: build up further by agreement, following the advice from occupational health What we start with • Picking up the project for client A again, which she enjoyed working on • Catching up with Tom on where the project stands (fifteen minutes, only about the work) What we are not doing (yet) • No clearing the email backlog: old email is in a separate folder • No customer conversations and no team meetings • No tasks with a hard deadline Workplace and circumstances • A fixed desk in the quiet room on the second floor • No appointments before 9:30, so she can travel outside the rush hour Point of contact Olivia, available for questions on Mondays and Thursdays. Tom is the regular contact for questions about the work. What colleagues know The team knows that Megan is coming back and which project she is working on. Nothing else; questions about how she is doing, we leave to her. Adjusting together • Thursday of week 1 at 11:30: look back together, fifteen minutes • Every Thursday after that at 11:30 • After week 4: discuss the next steps with occupational health If it is harder than expected Then we repeat the previous week. Going back a step is not a failure, it is adjusting course.