The 10-Minute Conversation That Can Reduce Sickness in Your Team

Sally Brandon
Aug 15
2 min read

Person in robe with head down on table, surrounded by medication, tissues, lemon, and a mug. Glass of water nearby. Tired, unwell mood.

Why a 10-minute conversation that can reduce sickness in your team matters

Sick days are at their highest level in over a decade. The average UK employee now takes 7.8 sick days per year.While you can’t control the winter flu season or a chronic health condition, you can control how you respond when employees return to work.And yet, many business owners skip one of the simplest tools for reducing repeat absences. The 10-minute conversation that can reduce sickness in your team is a a quick 10 minute, chat to find out how your employee is.

What Is a Return-to-Work Conversation?

It’s exactly what it sounds like: a short, informal conversation with an employee after they’ve been off sick. It’s not about grilling them or making them prove anything. Instead, it’s your chance to:

🦉Show you care about them as a person

🦉Spot early signs of ongoing issues

🦉Offer any support they might need to get back on track

🦉Stay informed, so absence doesn’t keep catching you off guard

What to Ask in a Return-to-Work Conversation

Do:

🦉Start with “How are you feeling now?”

🦉Let them talk without interruption

🦉Follow up with “Is there anything we should know about or support you with?”

🦉Keep it relaxed and human

Don’t:

🦉Make it overly formal or defensive

🦉Ask for unnecessary medical details

🦉Lead with “We need to talk about your attendance”

🦉Turn it into an interrogation

Two people smiling and talking at a table with laptops in a modern office. Wooden decor and spiral staircase in the background. Warm atmosphere.

Impact on Employee Wellbeing and Attendance

Business owners who make return-to-work chats part of their sickness absence process report:

🦉 Fewer repeat absences because issues are dealt with early.

🦉Better communication, employees raise problems before they get worse

🦉More control for managers

🦉No more constant fire-fighting

🦉Higher trust levels. Your team notices when you handle sickness fairly and with care.

Even better, these conversations take just 10 minutes. A small investment of time that can have a big impact on morale, productivity, and your absence figures.

Make It Part of Your HR Routine

If you’re not doing this already, start now. You don’t need a fancy process, just genuine interest, a few open questions, and a willingness to listen. And if you want to take it further, we can help you put a clear absence management policy in place, train managers to have these conversations confidently, and track sickness data so you can spot trends before they become problems.

Hands gently cradle soil with a small, green plant sprout. The background is softly blurred, and the scene evokes a sense of nurturing as you are doing withyour employees.

Book Your Free HR Risk Snapshot

Want to know how your sickness absence process stacks up?

Book your free HR Risk Snapshot today, a 20-minute call where we’ll review your current approach, flag any legal risks, and give you simple, actionable tips to improve.

Book Here