Long-term sickness absence: When to conduct an informal welfare meeting

Last updated: April 3rd, 2023

First published: January 14th 2022
Last updated: March 31st 2023

Long-term sickness absence: When to conduct an informal welfare meeting

Short-term sickness absence is something all employers will have to deal with from time to time.

Long-term sickness absence tends to be a more challenging scenario.

When does a sickness absence become a long-term sickness absence?

This is something for you to decide and to confirm in your absence through illness policy.

As a general rule of thumb, short term absences last 4 weeks or less, while an absence of more than 4 weeks would qualify as a long-term absence.

Impact of long-term sickness absence on business operations

Having an employee out of work with no set return date can impact the daily operations of the business and may require alternative arrangements to be made.

This can result in reduced efficiency, productivity issues and problems with employee morale if your employees who are turning up for work begin to resent picking up the slack.

The informal welfare meeting

You should have a strong absence management policy in place.

One of the key steps in managing a long-term absence is the ‘informal welfare meeting’. This initial welfare meeting should take place approximately four weeks after the employee has been absent.

It’s good practice to hold this meeting earlier, at around two weeks, if there is a work-related reason for the employee’s absence.

An informal welfare meeting is a practical way to ensure that you stay in contact with the employee as well as an opportunity to clarify the nature of the employee’s incapacity, and confirm how long they’re likely to be absent from work.

Issues to discuss at the informal welfare meeting

You can discuss the following issues at the informal welfare meeting:

  • The nature of the employee’s incapacity.
  • What treatment has been recommended by their medical professional.
  • If the medical professional has recommended any accommodations for you to consider when facilitating their return to work.
  • What the employee’s feelings are about returning to work.
  • When they feel they will be able to return to work.

Where to hold the informal welfare meeting

This meeting should be held in a private place or by a private mode of communication.

Employees who are absent from work due to illness are likely to want privacy. By conducting the welfare meeting in private, you’ll be demonstrating your consideration for their situation and protecting their right to privacy.

Enquire about a potential return to work

You can use the meeting as a forum to discuss supports that could facilitate a return to work. Reassure the employee that they’re missed at work and let them know that you’ll consider any reasonable requirements that may facilitate their return to work.

Article: The persistent problem that is long-term sick leave

After the informal welfare meeting

You can wrap this meeting up by scheduling another follow up if there is no prospect of a return to work in the near future.

Depending on the details discussed in the meeting, you may need to consider the next steps like whether you will need to access medical records or ask the employee to attend a company doctor.

On the other hand, if the employee is optimistic about a return to work, the informal welfare meeting can help facilitate a speedy and successful return to work.

Find out more about how to manage long-term sickness absence

Call us today on 01 886 0350 to speak with a HR expert about managing long-term absences or request a callback here.

Book a call with a consultant

Complete the form below and a consultant will call you as soon as possible.

Book a call with a consultant

Complete the form below and a consultant will call you as soon as possible.

Latest Resources

St Patrick’s Day: Have you prepared for absenteeism?

Published: March 20th 2024 Following national celebrations and public holidays like St Patrick’s day, you could find yourself down several staff members. And – as […]

What Employees Are Entitled to a Public Holiday Benefit & How Are Benefits Calculated?

public holiday
Published: March 20th 2024 From Easter Monday to St Patrick’s Day, Ireland gets ten public holidays and, with them, public holiday benefits. But what if […]

What happens when workplace romances go wrong

workplace romances gone wrong
First published: February 14th 2024 Last updated: February 14th 2024 Love makes the world go round, or so they say. But what effect does love […]

Olga Shevchenko

Director/Advocate, Immigration Advice Bureau

Olga Shevchenko specialises in immigration advocacy and consultancy, in particular, employment permit, visas, family reunification, citizenship, etc, for those seeking to visit, reside or invest in Ireland.

Olga provides extensive information, knowledge, and support to her clients, enabling access to positive solutions for people struggling to handle the immigration law.

Minister Neale Richmond

Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Neale Richmond TD was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Business and the Department of Social Protection in January 2023.

Much of his work at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is with businesses, workers, their representative bodies and the State Agencies to ensure that the economic recovery and growth extends to all parts of the country. He works closely with the SME sector, including retail, on building resilience and on the transition to the green and digital economies.

Mark Carpenter

Director of Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, Sky

Mark Carpenter is Director of Regulatory & Corporate Affairs at Sky Ireland. In this role he has responsibility for External and Internal Communications, Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs and the company’s ‘Bigger Picture’ (CSR) programme. He also works closely with Sky Group teams on a variety of matters, in particular our partnerships with domestic broadcasters.

Prior to working at Sky, Mark worked as a Policy Officer in Houses of the Oireachtas and as a Management Consultant at Accenture. He has a BA in History from Oxford University and a PhD in Political Science from Trinity College Dublin.

Nora Cashe

Litigation and Compliance Manager, Peninsula

Nóra studied Law in Griffith College Dublin and qualified as a Barrister in 2008, practising in the area of Criminal law. She is also member of the Irish Employment Law Association.

Nora has extensive experience representing clients at Employment Tribunal hearings, Conciliation / Mediation meetings before both the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court. 

Nóra is a member of the Irish Employment Law Association and engages with the WRC Adjudication Service as part of their stakeholder engagement forum.

Deiric McCann

Managing Director, Genos International Europe

Deiric McCann leads Genos International Europe – The EU division of a world-leading provider of emotional intelligence solutions. 

With over two decades experience at the highest levels of management, Deiric supports clients to develop the resilience, emotional intelligence, psychological safety and engagements of their employees.

Rhiannon Coyne

Senior HR Consultant, Graphite HRM

Rhiannon Coyne is a Senior HR Consultant at Graphite HRM and will be providing an overview of best practice on how to deal with complaints of bullying and harassment in the workplace. 

With a number of recent updates to employment laws, Rhiannon will take a closer look at employment equality and how it is interlinked to Health & Safety and what employers can learn from recent case laws.

David Begg

Chairman, Workplace Relations Commission

David Begg was appointed Chairperson of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in January 2021.

David is also a professor at Maynooth University Institute of Social Sciences. Mr Begg’s extensive history in the trade union movement included leading the ESB Officers Association and Irish Congress of Trade Unions, stepping away from the latter in 2001 to chair international aid agency Concern.

David Begg was also previously a director of the Central Bank of Ireland between 1995 and 2010.