Is it time to review your return to work policy?

Is it time to review your return to work policy?

A third of employers lack any early intervention policies to help staff back into work after longer periods of illness.

With Covid-19 requiring weeks – or even longer – for recovery and self-isolation, employers internationally have been revising policies around what is allowable in terms of sickness absence. But this hasn’t led to a more active approach to making sure short-term illness doesn’t result in long-term issues, according to a new study by Group Risk Development (GRiD).

Its research found that even after six months of ill health, disability or injury, there were no back-to-work schemes in place to help with a return. 32% also didn’t have any policies in place to provide any financial support after six months. 

More than half of those who don’t provide early interventions explained this was due to the costs involved; 33% said they didn’t believe it was their responsibility to become involved with. 

Of the employers who do provide early interventions, only a half make them available to all staff. The most common services provided are counselling (46%), graded return-to-work plans (43%), access to rehabilitation specialists (39%), line manager training (34%), access to medical specialists (31%), providing a second medical opinion (28%), payment for treatment (27%) and physiotherapy (24%).

Eugene Farrell, EAPA UK chair, said: “Early intervention is critical. The chance to talk through issues – and long-term sickness tends to mean a cluster of problems – is invaluable in terms of both coping and making plans for the future. This is the way to head off behaviours and attitudes that only lead to worsening physical and mental health.

“As we’ve seen so often, having support from an employer through difficult times makes employees feel valued and part of a community rather than just left to cope on their own, disconnected from their work role and all of its challenges and rewards.

“The post-pandemic period should be a time for employers to not only think about the impact of sickness absence but their culture and what services and offerings will help to create the best possible environment for dealing with illness, recovery and motivation to keep contributing.”