Return-to-work form

What you need to know

The plain-English guidance that comes with this document.

• A welcome-back, not an interrogation. Keep it short, warm and human — the point is to check the person's alright and ease them back in, not to grill them. Do it on their first day back, before the day runs away with you.
• Do one every time — even a single day off. It feels like overkill for one day, but a quick chat every time is how you spot, early and kindly, if something bigger is going on. Note on your sickness and absence record that you've done it.
• Self-certified for a week, fit note after that. Staff can self-certify for the first 7 calendar days; from day 8 they'll have a fit note. If it says "may be fit for work", that's an invitation to talk about adjustments — a phased return, lighter duties, changed hours — not something to file and ignore.
• Support first, and tread carefully around health. Especially after a longer or health-related absence, think about what would genuinely help them stay well at work. Absence linked to a disability may call for reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act, and you must never hold pregnancy-related sickness against someone.
• This is a supportive chat, not a disciplinary one. If frequent absence does become a performance issue, that's a separate, formal process with its own paperwork — don't let a return-to-work chat drift into a telling-off.
• Health information is sensitive — keep it lean and locked away. Record what you need to support them, not a medical history. It's "special category" data, so store the completed form securely in their file.
• Sick pay note. Since 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is a day-one right (no waiting days), so it can be in play even for short absences — worth knowing when you talk things through.
• Same across the UK. Statutory Sick Pay and the fit note system work the same in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.