Many managers shy away from return to work interviews for fear of a confrontational show down. Prepare before the interview and think about the following:

•	Questions you might ask – open ended ones will get the conversation flowing
•	Have employee records at hand
•	Consider how the employee feels
•	Your body language – be sympathetic
•	Have there been any patterns in absence?
•	Plan a getting back to work programme if the employee has been away for a long period
•	Update the employee about any changes since they've been absent
•	You might have to take disciplinary action if you are unhappy with the explanations for the absences or poor timekeeping
•	Have an open mind, agree a shared action plan where possible, but don't make any hasty decisions at the meeting
•	Interviews should be conducted sensitively to find out if there are any underlying issues such as domestic problems.
•	Update the employee about any changes since they've been absent

5. Proactive absence management – reward excellent attendance
In large organisations, time and attendance systems are an invaluable tool for tracking and reporting on attendance levels. Many organisations effectively use perfect attendance bonuses or set targets as an incentive to reduce absence levels.

6. Be realistic – plan for unscheduled staff absence
Sometimes people really do need to take some ‘mental health’ time out that simply cannot be planned. Allow employees to take a maximum number of days each year as ‘Duvet Days’ at short notice. This will likely improve morale and get better results of out of your employees in the long term.

More managing absence tips