Return to work form

A return to work form records the conversation between a manager and an employee coming back from sickness absence: the dates, the reason in general terms, any fit note, the adjustments and support agreed, and whether an absence review point has been reached. This free Word template follows Acas guidance and the GOV.UK rules on fit notes and sick pay.

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Running a company of 30 to 200 people? Documents like this are now worth money.

Medical details go on a separate page, so the rest of the form can be kept as an ordinary absence record.

Looking for the employee's self-certificate? That's HMRC's SC2 form, on GOV.UK: Ask your employer for Statutory Sick Pay. This page is the manager's record of the conversation.

What's in the template

Return to work form

Employee 
Job title 
Manager 
Date of meetingIdeally the first day back

1. Absence details

First day absentLast day absentWorking days missedBack at work on
    
Reported as the absence policy requires?Yes / No / Late (reason)
Reason in general termse.g. illness, injury, operation; no medical detail here
Linked to an accident or anything at work?Yes / No

2. Evidence

  • Up to 7 calendar days: self-certificate (your own form or HMRC's SC2)
  • More than 7 days in a row: fit note received and copied
  • Fit note says 'may be fit for work': advice noted in section 4
Fit note coversFrom and to
Issued byDoctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist

3. Readiness and wellbeing

  • Do you feel ready to be back?
  • Did anything about work contribute to the absence?
  • What should colleagues be told, and what should stay private?

4. Adjustments and support

Support or adjustmentAgreed?UntilArranged by
Phased return   
Altered hours   
Amended duties   
Workplace adaptations, including home working   
Occupational health referral   

5. Absence review points

Absences in the last 12 monthsWorking days in totalReview point reached?Next step
  Yes / No 

A review point starts a supportive conversation, not a disciplinary process. Leave out disability-related or pregnancy-related absence where your policy says so.

6. Confidential health information (store separately)

Only what's needed to support the employee. Store it apart from the absence record, for HR and the manager only.

DetailNotes
Health information the employee chose to share 
Fit note or occupational health advice 
Risk assessment to review?Yes / No

7. Next steps and signatures

ActionOwnerReview date
   
   
NameSignatureDate
Employee   
Manager   

How to hold the return to work meeting

  1. Meet before they return or on the first day back. Acas suggests before the return or as soon as possible after.
  2. Prepare. Read the fit note and earlier absence records, know what you can offer (a phased return, different hours, adjustments) and book somewhere private.
  3. Open with welfare, not questions about the absence: how they are, what changed while they were away, and what colleagues should be told.
  4. Confirm the dates and the evidence: a self-certificate for up to 7 days, a fit note beyond that.
  5. Work through any "may be fit for work" advice: agree each change, how long it lasts and who arranges it, and review the risk assessment if it touches safety, such as lifting.
  6. Check your absence review points and explain calmly what happens next, if anything.
  7. Agree a review date and both sign, then file section 6 separately.

What the rules say (UK)

  • Evidence: employees self-certify the first 7 calendar days, including weekends and bank holidays, and need a fit note after that. GOV.UK's employer guide says you can only ask for a fit note once an absence passes 7 days in a row, and can't withhold Statutory Sick Pay because one is late.
  • Fit notes can be issued by doctors, registered nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists or physiotherapists. "May be fit for work" is advice: if you can't make the changes, the same note is evidence for sick pay.
  • Statutory Sick Pay is paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks to employees who have done some work for you and been ill for at least one full working day. In October 2026 GOV.UK gave the rate as £123.25 a week or 80% of normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
  • Review points: Acas says there are no legal rules on when absence should be reviewed and that review points shouldn't automatically trigger disciplinary action. Not counting disability or pregnancy-related absence is one way to avoid discrimination, and absence linked to a disability is a prompt to review reasonable adjustments.
  • Health details are special category data: the ICO suggests keeping records of a condition separate from a plain absence record, seen only by those who need them.

The form isn't legal advice, and sick pay figures change; check the GOV.UK pages below before relying on them.

Example: back injury with a phased return

A completed form for a warehouse picker at a fictional 90-person food distributor. The employee, Dan Hughes, is fictional.

  • Absence: 12 calendar days (8 working days) with a back injury from a fall at home, reported by phone on the first morning.
  • Evidence: a GP fit note saying he may be fit for work with amended duties: no lifting over 10 kg for four weeks.
  • Agreed: four weeks picking light goods only, with the manual handling risk assessment checked before his first shift; review in two weeks.
  • Review points: the company's policy reviews absence at three absences or ten working days in 12 months. At 11 working days in 12 months, a supportive absence review is booked, and he accepts an occupational health referral.

Common mistakes

  • Running it like a disciplinary interview. Acas describes it as a chance to check someone is ready and has the support they need.
  • Writing a diagnosis into the general absence record, where payroll and other managers can see it.
  • No end date on a phased return, so temporary changes drift on unreviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Is a return to work meeting a legal requirement?

No. Acas says it isn't, but that employers should have a return to work process and set it out in their absence policy.

Does an employee need a fit note to come back to work?

No. The DWP's guidance for employers says they don't need a note saying they're fit, and can return before their fit note runs out without seeing their doctor again.

How is a phased return paid?

Acas says someone on reduced hours should get their usual rate for the hours worked. For the rest, it depends on what's agreed or in your policy: full pay, company sick pay, or Statutory Sick Pay, which is only paid for full days not worked.

Sources

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