Back Pain - Managing Return to Work
The longer an employee is off work with back pain, the less likely it becomes that they will return. However, by intervening early and putting in place return to work arrangements, you can avoid losing employees through long-term sickness. You can help your employee by developing a plan with their help - on temporary changes to the rate, duration and nature of work – so that safe and early return is possible.
Planned return to work
- Always maintain regular contact with the absent employee so you can help them keep motivated and prepare the individual for their return.
- Talk to your employee and safety representative about ways to ensure safe return to work.
- Prepare and agree a return to work plan (as a rough guide, for absences longer than about 2 weeks) with a goal for the individual to be back doing their original job after a certain number of days or weeks. A return to work plan should:
- be regularly reviewed to ensure that progress is made;
- provide helpful transitional work arrangements that may include a gradual increase in hours or allowing more time for certain tasks to be completed;
- be tailored to the individual.
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Changes to work activities
It is important to work with your employee to enable a return to normal work.
Helpful strategies for return to work may include:
- Modifying the job, work system or workstation;
- Suggesting alternatives and rotation between tasks or activities;
- Provide equipment to assist the worker if appropriate;
- Reduce the duration of work for the first few days/ weeks- this may help reduce risk of further pain;
- Working a half normal shift (about 4 hours at first) – this may improve pain tolerance.
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You may be able to put your employee in touch with occupational health support. More detailed advice on managing sickness absence and return to work can be found on the sickness absence webpages. On these pages there is also guidance on the Disability Discriminiation Act 1995.
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