This section of the Sickness Absence Toolkit is intended to provide practical guidance in relation to the School’s Occupational Health referral process. It is specifically intended to support managers when referring employees in order that they can obtain appropriate advice as part of an absence management process.
Occupational Health
Occupational Health play a key role in supporting the effective management of health issues within the workplace. They are concerned with the work related impacts of an employee’s health, both in terms of how work or the workplace might impact on the employee as well as how the employees’ health may impact on their work. It is not the purpose of Occupational Health to provide diagnosis or treatment, but to provide support to employees, to interpret medical information and to present it to Managers in a useful way that allows them to consider work-related issues such as timescales of absences or adjustments which may be made to support employees in their place of work.
Occupational Health can provide advice across a range of areas, including (but not limited to):
- The potential impact a medical condition may have on an employee’s ability to attend work/carry out their duties
- Likely return to work timescales
- Whether or not workplace adjustments may be considered
Making a referral
If you wish to refer an employee to Occupational Health, you should first discuss this with your HR Partner who will be able to advice on next steps and provide you with the School’s Occupational Health Referral form.
The referral form is crucial to obtaining useful information and advice from Occupational Health and as such it is vital that it is completed fully. Your HR Partner can provide guidance on completing this form.
It is essential that Managers discuss the referral with the employee being referred. This ensures that the employee is fully aware of why they are being referred and what questions are being asked of the Occupational Health Unit.
Further information on occupational health referrals can be found in the Employee FAQs and from a member of the HR Partnering Team.