A phased return to work is when someone who's been absent gradually builds up to returning to work. For example:
- starting on reduced hours
- doing work that is different to their usual job
- having a lighter workload
A phased return to work might be appropriate after a:
- long-term illness
- serious injury
- bereavement
If a worker is disabled, their employer must also make reasonable adjustments to support them.
How long a phased return should be
How long a phased return will last depends on the worker's individual circumstances. The employer and the worker should agree how long it will be for.
If a worker has a fit note, this will usually give advice on how long their phased return should be. However, the employer and worker should still discuss and agree this together.
The employer and worker should regularly review how the phased return is going.
The employer should be flexible and make sure they're supporting the worker's health and wellbeing. For example, they might need to:
- extend the phased return to work
- agree to new changes to the worker's responsibilities or work pattern
Pay during a phased return
An worker's pay will depend on what kind of phased return to work they have agreed with their employer.
If the worker returns to their usual work on reduced hours
The worker might return to their usual work but on reduced hours. They should get their usual rate of pay for the hours they work.
For the time they're not able to work, an worker's pay will depend on whether:
- they've agreed anything with their employer
- their employer has a policy that covers this
They might get:
- full pay if the employer has agreed to it or it's written in the organisation's policy
- company sick pay, if their employer offers this
- statutory sick pay (SSP), if they're eligible – this is only if the employer does not offer full pay or company sick pay
Statutory sick pay can only be paid for full non-working days. If someone works part of a day, they cannot be paid statutory sick pay for the rest.
For example, Jan has a phased return. Usually Jan works 7 hours a day for 3 days. During the phased return, Jan only works 2 hours a day for 2 days. Jan cannot be paid statutory sick pay for the remaining 5 hours. However, Jan can be paid statutory sick pay on the day they do not work.
If the worker has a lighter workload
A worker might have a lighter workload. In these cases, it's up to the employer and worker to agree on a rate of pay. The employer should put this agreement in writing, for example in a letter or email.
Contact the Acas helpline
If you have any questions about phased returns, you can contact the Acas helpline.