Where possible, an employer should help a worker who's experiencing stress to stay in work.
However, taking time off for work-related stress might give someone the space and time to recover. This can be helpful if stress is making their physical or mental health worse.
If a worker needs time off work, they should follow their organisation's sickness policy, if they have one. They might be entitled to sick pay.
Find out more about sick pay entitlement
Keeping in touch
When a worker is off work with stress, an employer should have a reasonable amount of contact with them.
Workers often benefits from regular contact because it can:
- prevent isolation
- support them while off sick
- help with the return to work
However, the employer and worker should agree how often they'll keep in touch so that it's not overwhelming. It's a good idea to review this regularly and check that this contact is helpful for the worker.
Find out more about keeping in touch during absence
Having a return to work meeting
The employer should talk to the worker when they return to work after time off with work-related stress.
A return to work meeting is a good opportunity to:
- make sure the worker is ready to return to work
- see if they need any support
- agree on a plan for returning to work, if appropriate, for example a phased return to work
- review or do a stress risk assessment
- talk about any work updates that happened while they were off
Using a Wellness Action Plan from Mind can help a manager to talk with a worker about the causes of the stress. This can help the employer reduce the risk of the worker needing more time off.
Other things to discuss could include:
- the signs of poor mental health
- what the worker should do if they become unwell, for example who to contact
- what support or adjustments they might need