Return to Work after Long-term Sickness Absence

It is important that the manager and the staff member, possibly in cooperation with the job centre, prepare a concrete plan for how the return-to-work process will be organised. In this connection, it is important to consider together:

Working hours

Agree on the number of hours and days – for example, three hours per day, three days per week. Also agree on what time of day the hours will be scheduled.

Work tasks

Clarify which tasks the staff member will perform upon return. It is important that the tasks are clearly defined and limited in scope. Start with tasks the staff member is confident they can manage. If there are tasks that will be put on hold or temporarily carried out by colleagues, it is important to discuss this openly.

Breaks

It is important to include breaks within the working day and between working days so that the staff member continuously experiences a healthy work–life balance and has energy for activities outside work.

Remember professional skills and competences

Despite illness, the staff member still has professional skills and strengths. Remember to make use of these. It is important that the person is met as a colleague who has knowledge and value for the workplace.

Other considerations

Agree whether any adjustments or accommodations are needed in the workplace when the staff member returns to work. This might include screens or adjustments to the workstation.

Follow-up

Agree on frequent follow-up meetings – for example, every three weeks – to evaluate and, if necessary, adjust the plan. Also remember to follow up when the staff member is fully back at work – for example, after one year.

It is important that the manager and the staff member agree on how contact will be maintained during the period of sick leave and throughout the return-to-work process.

The manager and the staff member should agree on what information will be communicated to colleagues and partners, and who will be responsible for doing so.

We recommend the greatest possible openness regarding any difficulties the staff member may have that could affect the work situation – for example, fatigue, vulnerability, or problems with memory and concentration.

SDU has a staff psychologist employed in SDU HR who can be contacted.

Consider the job centre as a potential collaboration partner. It is the job centre’s responsibility to support the staff member during sick leave and in connection with the return to work.

The job centre has the authority to make decisions regarding, among other things, the possibility of extending sickness benefit/reimbursement, flex jobs, and early retirement pension.

When sickness benefit/reimbursement is paid, the job centre is obliged to hold follow-up meetings with the staff member on sick leave every four weeks.

Sickness Benefit/Reimbursement

Staff members at the Department of Clinical Research will normally receive full salary during sickness absence. When salary is paid during sickness absence, the workplace may apply to the municipality for reimbursement of sickness benefit. Sickness benefit/reimbursement can be granted for up to 22 weeks, with the possibility of extension if the staff member is still considered unfit for work and meets the general conditions for sickness benefit. The rules on extension of sickness benefit are set out in §27 of the Sickness Benefit Act.

Sickness Absence Interview

Your employer must hold the first sickness absence interview with you no later than four weeks after your first day of sickness. The purpose is to plan how you can return to work. The interview may be postponed, for example due to hospitalisation, and may be conducted by telephone or e-mail, as it only concerns two simple questions about the expected duration of the sickness absence. You are entitled to have your union representative or an adviser present.

Follow-up Interviews at the Job Centre

The purpose of these interviews is to assess whether the staff member requires support to return to work. The interviews must be held every four weeks and should generally take place at the job centre, but may be conducted by telephone if the staff member is partially back at work or prevented from attending due to illness.

Standby Scheme

Contact with the job centre is a prerequisite for receiving sickness benefit during sick leave. If the sickness absence is due to a serious, life-threatening illness, contact with the job centre may be placed on standby. This means that the staff member is not required to attend follow-up interviews at the job centre. The standby scheme ends when treatment is completed or work is resumed.

Holiday

While the staff member is receiving sickness benefit/reimbursement, they are not entitled to take holiday unless there is a clear agreement with the job centre. Always contact the job centre before planning any holiday. Sickness benefit reimbursement cannot be paid during any holiday period.

Workplace Adjustments for Disabilities

If illness or treatment has resulted in a permanent physical and/or mental functional impairment, the job centre may grant assistance, for example in the form of workplace adaptations or personal assistance.

Section 56 Agreement

After recovery, and if there is an expectation of increased sickness absence, the staff member and the employer may apply for a Section 56 Agreement through the job centre. This scheme allows for sickness benefit reimbursement from the first day of sickness absence.

Flex Job

If the job centre assesses that the staff member has a significantly and permanently reduced work capacity, they may determine the possibility of a flex job.

Early Retirement Pension

If the staff member’s work capacity is significantly and permanently reduced in relation to any occupation, the job centre may decide whether early retirement pension can be granted.

Social Chapters

Through collective agreements, employers are obliged to support an employee’s connection to the workplace during a period of sickness absence. Agreements between the employer and the employee must be in writing, partly because such agreements may have implications for later establishment of a flex job.

The above is a reformulated version of legal provisions intended to make the legislation generally accessible, and therefore the text cannot be used as a legal basis.

• Do not wait too long before starting work again – but start small.
• Consider how you use your energy and time in your everyday life when you begin working again.
• Be patient and accept that there may be both good and bad days.
• Be realistic in your expectations of yourself regarding work. Consider discussing this with your manager or a healthcare professional.
• Expect to make some compromises, for example regarding your work tasks.
• Remember that every return-to-work process is different, so be careful about comparing yourself to others.

If you would like to know more about the above or need further assistance, you can contact:

• The Job Centre
• Your trade union
• Your health centre
• Your General Practitioner

• Be patient with your staff member. It is difficult to predict how long it will take to return to work, and it often takes longer than expected. 
• Agree on how communication with the staff member on sick leave will take place. Decide on the form of contact (telephone, video meetings, in-person meetings, e-mail), how often you will communicate, and about what. This applies both during the period of sick leave and when the staff member is preparing to return to work. The union representative can be involved if needed.
• Agree on announcements. Decide together with the staff member what will be communicated to the workplace and to partners, and who will be responsible for doing so.
• Reduce uncertainty about dismissal. Many employees on sick leave fear losing their job. Talk openly with your staff member about this uncertainty.
• Avoid comparing your staff member’s illness to that of others. Even if it is the same illness, the impact can vary greatly from person to person. The illness, treatment, and reaction to it can differ widely, so be careful about making comparisons.
• Talk with the team about how they are affected by their colleague’s illness or recovery, and address their reactions. This is particularly important in cases of serious or potentially life-threatening illness.
• Map out the tasks of the staff member on sick leave. Communicate clearly how these tasks will be prioritised and handled. Coordinate regularly with the team about the consequences of the colleague’s illness for their workload.

If you would like to know more or need further assistance, you can contact:

• The HR Department
• The Job Centre
• The Confederation of Danish Employers The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (STAR)
• The National Centre for Active Employment Initiatives (Center for Aktiv Beskæftigelsesindsats, Cabi)
• Patient associations

• Be patient with your colleague. It is difficult to predict how long it will take to return to work, and it often takes longer than expected.
• Ask your colleague how they feel. Clarify whether they wish to talk about their illness or not, and respect their preference.
• Ask if you can help and, if so, how. Feel free to offer specific suggestions. Accept a refusal if given.
• If your colleague wishes to talk, be a good listener.
• Avoid comparing your colleague’s illness to that of others. Even if it is the same illness, the impact can vary greatly from person to person. The illness, treatment, and reaction to it can differ widely.

If you would like to know more or need assistance, you can contact:

• Your immediate line manager
• Possibly the HR Department at your workplace
• Sundhed.dk
• Patient associations