Holding an informal review meeting

Your purpose of holding the meeting is to have a supportive, confidential discussion to understand the situation and agree on a way forward.

Prior to the informal review meeting

• Consult HR first: When you have concerns that an absence will be long-term (longer than 28 days), your first step is to discuss the case with an HR Operations.
• Arrange the meeting: Invite the employee to an informal discussion. While this should ideally be at the workplace, you can make other arrangements if needed.
• The discussion should be informal in nature and there is no right for the employee to be accompanied at this stage, but you should consider any request to be accompanied, particularly if it forms part of a reasonable adjustment.

At the informal review meeting

During the meeting, you should aim to:

• Discuss the nature of their ill health and its impact on their ability to do their job.
• Give them a chance to raise any work-related or personal issues that may be affecting their health.
• Review any existing Occupational Health (OH) reports or discuss whether a referral is now appropriate.
• Explore potential support and reasonable adjustments to help their recovery and enable a return to work.
• Discuss a likely return-to-work date, including the option of a phased return.
• Inform them about University support, such as Occupational Sick Pay, the Employee Assistance Provider (EAP), and the Mediation Service.
• Ensure that the employee is aware of the Procedure and Guidance for Managing Ill Health and Sickness Absence and the University’s responsibility in monitoring and managing long term sick absence
• Where an employee (or their Fit Note) indicates they may be suffering from ‘work related stress’ the manager should follow Health and Safety guidance. The employee should also be reminded of the support they may be offered by University’s employee assistance service (PAM). Issues relating to work place stress should be considered when planning a supportive return to work.
• Consider a referral to Occupational Health
• Agree on next steps: At the end of the meeting, you should seek to agree on clear actions to support the employee's potential return to work and schedule a date for a follow-up review.

After the informal meeting you should send the employee a summary of your discussion, any agreed actions and if appropriate a timescale to review further.