15 Best Return to Work Letters (Work Release Forms)

From time to time, employees will need a break from their day-to-day tasks to rest, recover, and travel. For these reasons, the employees should submit a return to work letter following company guidelines to their supervisor.

Employers also send a return to work letter to the employee as a welcome note that details the return date, updates on changes in the company and their role, and additional information regarding their triumphant return to work.

This article discusses the importance of a return-to-work letter, its contents, and examples.

What is a Return to Work Letter?

A return to work letter is a document that an employee submits to their supervisor after taking sick or personal leave from the company.

It should also provide details of the approved leave like reason, official leave, return date, appreciation for approval, and any other important information related to their leave status. An employee must submit a return to work letter before resuming their role.

Conversely, a return to work letter is a document that an employer writes to an employee that contains information about the employee’s entitlements following their return from leave. A return to work letter updates the business’s current status and provides information regarding employees’ roles and responsibilities after returning to work.

Importance

Employees who submit a valid return to work letter have a better chance of getting approved for future time off. Employers also use this information to judge if an employee can be trusted with leave in the future or not without worrying about any negative consequences. They can also keep track of all employees who have been granted leave, their reasons, and their return date.

A return to work letter from the employer is to extend full support and confidence to the employee. A return to work letter from the employer acts as an official statement of the approval for the employee’s return to their roles. It also helps the employer communicate the expected return schedule for the employee and establish the employee’s competence to resume their official capacity, especially if they were absent for serious medical reasons.

If You Are an Employee

It is advisable to create a return to work letter as an employee because it is one of the essential documents that a manager needs to consider planning for your return to work.

Creating an effective communication tool should be your objective as an employee returning from an absence to work. Some of the things you need to keep in mind before crafting a return to work letter include:

Request a phased return

You do not have to return to work at once, significantly if your leave does not fully recover you. Instead, you can propose a phased return where you ease your way back into your duties and responsibilities. For example, you can take up minor tasks and gradually take up more significant tasks with time. Phased return can also involve resuming part-time, several days a week, or limited hours per day.

Stay in touch while you are away

You should stay in touch with the work environment and your supervisor while you are away. You can remain in contact by sending emails, phone calls, or regular updates. This allows you to remain up to date with the happenings at your workplace and ease the transition after you re-join. If regular communication is impossible, plan a meeting with your supervisor right before returning to work.

Stay current

Make you are up to date with everything happening at the workplace, whether it is operations, deadlines, new training, revised procedures, etc. This will allow you to come back fully prepared, specifically if your company is in the midst of a critical project or a significant change.

Keep records of your absence

Takedown all the crucial records about your absence, including the details of your medical condition or leave approved by the employer. In addition, documents such as employment insurance benefits forms and receipts can be kept.

Meet with the doctor

An employee on medical leave must have a doctor’s note stating that they are entirely fit to resume work. This is necessary because many employees take a break from their careers without formal authorization. The supervisor may come across such a case and not be aware that the employee is on leave for a prolonged time. The employer must also be informed about the duration and reasons for your absence and when recovery is expected.

Ask for help

Seek help from co-workers, HR and supervisor when transitioning back to work. For example, identify who has fulfilled your role and consult them on any queries you may have about ongoing projects.

You need to present as much information as possible in the letter, including the date of your leave, the reason for leave, and the expected return time.

The process of creating such a letter can be done in the following steps:

Address the letter to the right person

A formal return to work letter should be addressed to the person with authority and not the colleague. More often than that, the recipient will be the person who approved your leave. If you are working for a large-scale company, you can address it to the HOD instead of your supervisor. Ensure the name, designation, and contact details are captured accurately.

Thank them for authorizing your leave

Include a thank you note with the return to work letter. Sending a thank-you note allows you to let them know how you are recovering and your readiness to return soon. This section of a return to work letter can also be used to update the recipient on what you’ve been doing during leave, whether it’s recovery plans, learning new skills, or any major notable event. In addition, showing you were productive in this section can prepare your supervisor on how best to incorporate you into the team.

Reason for absence with proper documentation

After thanking your employer, explain why you had to take a leave, try to justify with specific details as per the company’s rules and regulations, if there are any. Provide documentation that supports your recovery process, such as a note from your physician or therapist. This can include a doctor’s release letter that states you are fit to return to work or company forms you must fill out before and after your absence from work.

Explain how you plan to catch up

In this section, you must communicate your plan of returning in a phased manner or if you will be returning on set dates. This can include getting back to the office at a specific time, having meetings with colleagues, making an effort to attend meetings or undertaking courses to get new skills. Such plans help the company plan when and how they will incorporate you into the team.

Close with a thank you

Close your return to work letter with an expression of thank you for being understanding, patient, and flexible during your absence. This helps the employer know your appreciation. In addition, it is a common professional courtesy to thank someone for their time and effort and any help extended during the time of absence.

Given below are free templates of return to work letter from employee:

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If You Are an Employer

Employers should send a return to work letter to employees as they return to official duties after an absence from work. It can be challenging when employees cannot find their way back into their previous positions or gain new positions in new departments. Therefore, showing support can go a long way in ensuring they are back to being productive.

Note: Develop a plan. Employers ought to have a plan to help employees transition back into their previous roles and compensate for the loss of work. If the employee is on long-term leave, employers can expect that they will need time to complete an initial return to work plan. The return to work plan should consider schedule, accommodations, workload, and possible gaps in skills and how this may impact the employee’s ability to succeed in their role. Scheduling covers whether the employee will be back on full-time or part-time or an adjusted schedule. Accommodations cover any adjustments that have to be made in the workplace to accommodate the employee, such as access channels, installation of new equipment, etc. Workload covers the duties and functions of the employee’s role, whether they need to be adjusted. 

The letter welcoming employees from leave should be comprehensive and cover any critical information relayed to the employee. Employers should include the following in their return to work letter:

Employee details

The letter should be a formal note to the employee. The details include their name, department, and title. This section can also contain the Employee’s ID, reference number of furlough or leave notice number, and job classification, whether full-time or contractual.

Introduction

In the introductory paragraph, explain why you are writing the letter and communicate your welcome to the employee. It is very important for you as an employer to support your employee’s recovery and willingness to reintegrate into their job role after prolonged leaves such as maternity or paternity leave. This can include your sincere appreciation for their cooperation with the company procedures and its benefits, such as job performance and employee morale.

Expected date and time of joining

This section lets the employee know the expected date and time of joining work. This helps them prepare mentally to go back and be productive and inform HR so they can update their files regarding the employee’s return.

Share updates

Next, share some updates about the team, projects, or events. This will help your employees catch up on things that have occurred while away. This includes updates on changes in company policies, work schedules, relocations, work modes like working from home, etc.

Revised roles and responsibilities

The return to work letter should also highlight the roles and responsibilities of the employee in the department. This helps them to understand whether they will resume their previous responsibilities and if they are required to take on new roles. The letter should also update whether there have been any changes or promotions in their job roles and responsibilities. This can include if the employee has been given a different task or promoted to a higher position or an additional role such as a team leader, supervisor, or manager added to their job descriptions.

Also, include an update on their workload, the number of hours, overtime commitments, and the employee’s preferred mode of correspondence, such as email or instant messaging. Finally, this section should consider doctor-recommended work restrictions. This helps the employee to refresh their knowledge and prepare for their roles.

Salary updates

This should list any changes to the salary of a returning employee as a result of their absence due to furlough or long-term leave. Whether an employee was on sabbatical, sick or maternity leave, or on break in service, they may not have been paid by the company while away from work. This section should state how much will be deducted due to any loans taken during their absence.

How you will facilitate their return

In this section of the letter, you can state how you will help the employee get back on track and get their duties done. You can mention anything from the rescheduling of meetings, providing additional support such as access to work-related data from home, retraining, or setting up a schedule for frequent follow-ups to help them get caught up with their work.

Expectations from employee

Lastly, include instructions on what needs to be done before returning to work, i.e., sign forms, medical documentation, additional training required, contact HR, etc.

Given below are free templates of return to work letter from employer:

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Return to work letters should effectively communicate the required information as the employee returns to work. Some of the tips for crafting a solid return to work letter include:

Use a positive tone

Write in a positive and proactive tone. The employer and employee should thank each other for their cooperation, patience, and understanding. 

Set clear expectations

With the employee being away for a significant time, they may have forgotten several things about their work. The letter should act as a reminder of the basics. The employer should remind the employee of any policies regarding smoking and use of company vehicles on company premises, list the tasks and responsibilities of their role, and make sure to update them on any changes in pay, new positions or roles, etc. in the letter.

Communicate your initiatives

It’d be best to take the initiative to accommodate the employee’s return. These initiatives can be outlined in this section. In addition, the initiatives can be presented as FAQ addressing how you’ve made plans to make it easy for the employee to return to work.

Be empathetic

You should be empathetic with your returning employee. You need to be kind, open, and honest and show your understanding of their situation.

Respect their privacy

It’s crucial to ensure that the employee’s privacy is respected. During their absence, the employee may have experienced many personal difficulties, and the company is not obliged to know the details. So, do not ask highly personal questions. If specific details about a medical condition were not provided in the doctor’s note, more than likely, the employee does not want it to be shared.

The information provided in this article offers a glimpse into what a return to work letter should include. A return to work letter is a simple yet effective document to send out to an employer upon return from leave. Also, when an employee is returning from a long-term leave such as maternity, the employer needs to be proactive and provide an adequate return to work letter. This letter can make the transition from their absence to their return easier. Unfortunately, employers often overlook these letters, which can leave employees coming back from long-term absences feeling alienated and unimportant. It aims to keep track of their healthcare and financial welfare during their leave and help them get mentally prepared for the new role and get back to work for them.

About This Article

Authored by:

Zhaniece Hill

Human Resources Specialist | Masters of Business, MBA, BAS Operations Management and Supervision

Zhaniece Hill, an accomplished author, and writer, possesses an extensive 9-year journey as a seasoned Human Resources professional. With a Master's degree in Business Administration, Hill's profound insights into human capital management have been shaped by a diverse background spanning public and private sectors. Expertise in talent acquisition, onboarding, employee engagement, and benefits define Hill's remarkable HR acumen. With an unyielding focus on results, Hill's legacy is characterized by innovative HR solutions that elevate employee satisfaction, retention, and overall business performance. Continuously seeking fresh challenges, Zhaniece Hill utilizes her expertise to create a lasting impact in the realm of HR.