Return to work form and interview: a guide for UK managers
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When someone comes back after sickness, hold a short, private return to work meeting on their first day back and record it on a one-page return to work form. It isn't a legal requirement in the UK, but it's the simplest way to check they're ready, agree any changes to their shifts and treat everyone the same way.
This guide gives you the questions to ask, a return to work form you can copy or download as a Word file, and what to do when the fit note says "may be fit for work".
When to hold a return to work meeting
Hold the meeting before the employee's first shift back, or as soon as possible after it. Acas recommends talking as soon as possible after someone returns. A meeting on day one also means any change to their shifts is agreed before the rota catches them out.
A few practical points for shift teams:
Who: the person who plans their shifts, usually the line manager or shift lead. They know the rota and can agree changes on the spot.
Where: somewhere private, such as the office or a quiet table before service. Never in front of the team or over WhatsApp.
How long: five to ten minutes after a short absence; longer after a long one.
Which absences: decide once and write it in your sickness absence policy. Some employers hold one after every sickness absence, however short; others only after a set number of days. Whatever you choose, apply it to everyone.
What to ask in a return to work interview
Keep the return to work interview short and friendly. Start with how they are, then move to what they need to work safely. The employee doesn't have to tell you why they were off, and you never need a diagnosis: you need to know whether they're fit for their shifts and what support helps.
These eight questions cover it:
How are you feeling now?
Do you feel ready to come back to your usual shifts?
Did you see a doctor, and did they give you a fit note or any advice?
Was anything at work linked to the absence, such as workload, a task or a shift pattern?
Is there anything we can change to help you settle back in?
Do you have any appointments coming up that we should plan the rota around?
Here's what changed while you were away. Any questions?
Are you happy for me to note what we agreed on your return to work form?
If a pattern of absences is the real topic, say so plainly and kindly, then follow the steps in your policy. Our guide on how to respond when an employee calls in sick covers the first conversation, on the day they call in.
Return to work form template
Use one form per absence and keep it short. The form records what you and the employee agreed. Copy the sections below into your own template, or download the return to work form (Word).
Section | What to record |
|---|---|
Employee details | Name, job role, location or team, manager |
Absence dates | First day absent, last day absent, return date, shifts missed |
Type of absence | Sickness, or another type your policy covers |
Evidence | Self-certified (first 7 days) or fit note, with its dates |
Fit note advice | "Not fit for work" or "may be fit for work", and any adjustments suggested |
Fit to return | Yes, or yes with adjustments |
Adjustments agreed | Phased return, altered hours, amended duties or workplace changes, with a review date |
Rota changes | Shifts that change for the next few weeks |
Support offered | Follow-up meeting, occupational health referral, other support |
Notes | Anything else agreed, in plain words |
Sign-off | Employee and manager names, signatures and date |
Leave diagnosis and symptoms off the form. If the employee mentions a health condition, record only what affects their work and the support you agreed.
What to do when the fit note says "may be fit for work"
A fit note marked "may be fit for work" means the doctor thinks your employee can work with some changes. According to the GOV.UK fit note guidance, the doctor can suggest four kinds of change:
A phased return: a gradual increase in hours or duties.
Altered hours: different start times or shorter shifts.
Amended duties: taking certain tasks off them for a while.
Workplace adaptations: changes to where or how they work.
You aren't obliged to make the changes. If you can't make them, treat the fit note as if it said "not fit for work", and the employee stays off sick. Your employee can also come back before the fit note ends, and nobody needs to be "signed back" to work: there's no option on the fit note to do that.
If the absence is linked to a disability, the Equality Act 2010 says you must make reasonable adjustments. Agree them in the return to work meeting and put a review date on the form.
Keep it fair and keep the form safe
The meeting only protects you if it's the same for everyone. Use the same questions, the same form and the same threshold for every employee, whoever they are and however busy the week. Absence linked to a disability or pregnancy may need a different approach: Acas suggests not counting it towards review points, or adjusting them. Check the reason before you count an absence towards any trigger.
The form also holds health information, which the ICO treats as special category data. In practice:
Collect only what you need to manage the return.
Store the form securely, separate from the general personnel file where you can.
Share it on a need-to-know basis: the manager and HR, not the whole team.
Close the sick leave and plan the comeback in Shiftbase
The form records the conversation; the rota is where the return actually happens. With Shiftbase absence management, sick leave and the schedule are one system: close the absence with the return date, plan the shifts for a phased return in the same place, and the team sees the updated rota in the app. No spreadsheet to update, no group chat to scroll back through. Try Shiftbase free for 14 days.
Frequently asked questions
No. There's no law that says you must hold a return to work interview, and Acas confirms it isn't a legal requirement. It's still good practice: a short, consistent meeting after each absence lets you check the employee is ready, agree any adjustments and spot patterns early.
A return to work form should record the absence dates, whether the absence was self-certified or covered by a fit note, the fit note advice, whether the employee is fit to return, any adjustments agreed with a review date, and sign-off by both of you. Leave out diagnosis and symptoms; record only what affects their work.
Hold it before the employee's first shift back or as soon as possible after it. A meeting on the first day lets you agree any changes to their shifts before they're back on the rota. In Shiftbase, close the open-ended sick leave with the return date and the schedule shows them as available again.
No. Employees can self-certify for the first 7 calendar days of sickness, and nobody needs a note to be "signed back" to work. An employee can also return before their fit note ends, without seeing their doctor again.
A return to work interview is a short, private meeting between a manager and an employee who has come back after an absence, usually sickness. It checks they're fit to return, agrees any support or adjustments, and records what was agreed on a return to work form.
Only if your policy says so. Some employers hold one after every sickness absence, however short, because it's the easiest way to stay consistent. Whatever threshold you choose, write it down and apply it to everyone; Shiftbase registers every sick period against the employee, so the record sits in one place.
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Rinaily writes for Shiftbase about HR, scheduling and building teams people actually want to work in. She turns the messy reality of workforce planning into practical advice you can put to work today.
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