First published on Thursday, June 4, 2020
Last updated on Thursday, November 20, 2025
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Staff may sometimes have long periods of absence from work. This could be due to injury, illness, or other medical reasons. As an employer, you need to do all you can to help them readjust and return to the workplace.
How you handle an employee’s return to work will have a big effect on them. Make sure you have procedures and policies in place to make it as easy as possible – like a return to work program.
In this guide, we’ll discuss how you can ensure an easy return to work and how to manage an employee’s return to work properly.
What is a return to work program?
A return to work (RTW) program is a formal plan to help employees have a safe and well supported return to their workplace, following a period of sickness or injury that caused them to take leave from work.
RTW programs are focused on rehabilitation of the employee, and will be specific to the employee’s needs. This typically involves the modification of the employee’s work environment, tasks or schedules to support their full return to work.
You should have a return to work policy in your business handbooks to inform employees of your RTW program, as well as define your compliance with provincial jurisdiction.
What to do when an employee is due to return after a long absence
Before an employee returns to the workplace, you should do the following to ensure that your RTW programs support your employee’s rehabilitation.
Communication and collaboration
Open communication with the returning employee is essential. Find out how they’re faring, what their expectations of their return to work are and if they outline any initial accommodations to be made.
Request any relevant medical information if required
With certain leaves and roles, the employer may require a medical certification stating that the employee is able to return to work, and have the medical practitioner outline what this would look like.
For example, a medical practitioner may provide a certification stating that the employee is cleared to return to their previous duties, but are unable to lift objects heavier than 20lbs, or need extra breaks to ensure adequate rest.
When requesting medical information, the diagnosis should never be the focus of the employer, only the limitations the employee is expected to have.
Identify accommodations needed
After speaking with the employee and reviewing their medical certifications, the employer should identify specific accommodations that they will need to make. These are typically:
Schedules: Will the employee require more time to rest, or need to commence work later than usual?
Work environment: Can the company provide certain apparatus, modified equipment or a more accessible workplace for the employee?
Tasks: Does the employee require a less intense workload or reduced number of tasks to ensure a successful return to work?
Put a plan in place
Once accommodations have been outlined, the employee has been consulted and appropriate medical certifications have been obtained, the employer should put together a comprehensive plan.
Included in a RTW plan should be:
Which days of the week they’ll come into work, gradually building up to a fulltime return.
Any changes needed to the workplace to meet any potential new requirements.
When regular meetings between employer and employee will be held to discuss progress.
How to identify suitable work for the employee following their return.
When a fulltime return to work will be completed.
Conduct a return to work interview
Before the employee is due to begin their RTW plan, hold a return to work interview and discuss the plan with them. Be sure to confirm whether their expectations have been met, identify any further modifications to be made and sign the finalized document.
Having a written signature from the employee and employer is important in the event of any conflicts arising later, and the interview is a perfect opportunity to clarify questions and begin the RTW process.
Benefits of a return to work program
There are a range of benefits in having a return to work program, for both employee and employer:
Helps the employee’s recovery from illness or injury, without causing undue stress or additional injury
Reduces the impact on the employee’s family
Keeps the employee involved in benefits programs and pensions
Reduces the training, onboarding, and rehiring costs of finding new staff
Minimizes the loss of productivity
Demonstrates that your workplace is supportive, fair and focuses on employee wellbeing
You must advise your employees to notify EI on their return to work.
How to notify EI of return to work
When your employee is returning to work, they can advise the EI via the government website. This is so their claim can be stopped and altered to their working status.
If the EI aren’t informed of this change, this could lead to legal trouble and expensive fines to pay.
Can an employer refuse a return to work?
If an employee raises the issues of an employer is refusing a return to work, it may be because you’re unable to accommodate the employee due to undue hardship.
Undue hardship is when an action in the workplace requires significant difficulty or expense.
An example of this, is if an essential job function is that everyone lifts 75lbs per day. If someone returning from injury/illness can only lift 50lbs, they would be unable to return to this role.
Get help with your employees return to work today with BrightHR
It’s important that you help to make your employees return to work as smooth as possible.
Our absence management tools allow you to improve your process in seconds, and our 24/7 HR advice line for employers means you can remain compliant and confident.
Book a free demo today to find out how BrightHR can support your return to work processes.
