Quality standard

Quality statement 4: Support to stay in or return to work

Quality statement 4: Support to stay in or return to work

Quality statement

Employees returning from sickness absence have any workplace adjustments recorded in a return-to-work plan that is monitored and reviewed.

Rationale

Workplace adjustments that are tailored to the employee's needs and role can help the person to return to and stay in work after sickness absence. The adjustments should be discussed and recorded in a return-to-work plan and include an agreed timeframe for implementation and expected duration. Regular monitoring and review of the adjustments and the return-to-work plan will help to ensure that the needs of the employee and employer continue to be met, and highlight any potential need for amending the duration or additional adaptations. The return-to-work plan should be able to be accessed by the employee as well as the line manager and should not be used to create targets or pressure for employee performance.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

a) Evidence of procedures to ensure that employees returning from sickness absence have any workplace adjustments recorded in a return-to-work plan.

Data source: Local data collection, for example review of organisation sickness absence and return-to-work policies.

b) Evidence of procedures to ensure that employees returning from sickness absence have their return-to-work plan monitored and reviewed.

Data source: Local data collection, for example review of organisation sickness absence and return-to-work policies.

Process

a) Proportion of employees returning from sickness absence who need workplace adjustments and have a return-to-work plan.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who have a return-to-work plan.

Denominator – the number of employees returning from sickness absence who need workplace adjustments.

Data source: Local data collection, for example employee HR records.

b) Proportion of employees who have workplace adjustments recorded in a return-to-work plan who have their return-to-work plan monitored and reviewed.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who have their return-to-work plan monitored and reviewed.

Denominator – the number of employees who have workplace adjustments recorded in a return-to-work plan.

Data source: Local data collection, for example employee HR records.

Outcome

a) Employee satisfaction with workplace adjustments on their return to work.

Data source: Local data collection, for example local audit of return-to-work plans, employee surveys.

b) Rates of recurrent sickness absence.

Data source: Local data, for example HR management systems.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Organisations (senior management teams, including the chief executive, and departmental managers) ensure that systems are in place to discuss, record, monitor and review workplace adjustments needed by employees returning from sickness absence. They ensure that return-to-work plans include timeframes for implementing the adjustments and how long they will last, and mechanisms for regular reviews, on a schedule agreed between the employee and their line manager or another appropriate person. In organisations that do not have formal systems, suitable clear and accessible procedures are developed and explained to all existing and new employees.

Line managers ensure that they discuss, record, monitor and review workplace adjustments needed by employees returning from sickness absence. They make use of return-to-work plans, including timeframes for implementing the adjustments and how long they will last, and mechanisms for regular reviews on an agreed schedule. They ensure that the return-to-work plan is not used to create targets or expectations for employee performance and that any timeframes are adaptable.

Employees discuss with their employer any support and adjustments they might need to help them return to work. They agree the adjustments, the timeframes for implementing them and their duration. They have regular opportunities to discuss and review how the adjustments work for them as well as to discuss and agree any changes they may need. They do not feel that their return-to-work plan is a target for performance or that the duration of their adjustments cannot be extended.