Return to Work Workflow

What happens if the employee doesn't agree with the proposed duties?

The employee's form response is routed based on their answer to the agreement question. If they select 'Discuss further', the workflow loops back to the HR and manager task so they can revise the plan and re-submit it for the employee's agreement. This loop can repeat as many times as needed until the employee agrees.

Can this handle a case where the employee isn't ready to return at the check-in stage?

Yes. The manager's check-in records Progress Notes and an Outcome, and if the outcome is 'Not yet ready', the workflow loops back to another manager check-in rather than moving to completion. This continues until the manager records the outcome as 'Fully returned', at which point the workflow moves to the Completed status and file closure.

Who is responsible for each step in this workflow?

HR and the manager jointly agree suitable duties and workplace adjustments in a task the workflow waits for, the employee responds through an emailed form, the manager records progress at each check-in, and HR completes a closure task at the end. Each task and its recorded answers show up on the record's timeline.

What if the manager and HR need more time to agree on duties?

The workflow waits for the HR and manager task to be completed before moving on, so there's no fixed deadline forcing a decision. The record stays at the Submitted or Awaiting Agreement status until the task is finished, and the timeline shows exactly when it was completed.

What information does the employee see and provide during the process?

The employee first submits an intake form with their name, email, manager, expected return date, medical restrictions and supporting information. Later they receive an emailed form showing the proposed duties and adjustments, asking whether they agree or want to discuss further, with a space for comments.

Can we customise the duties and adjustments agreement or check-in questions?

Yes. Any step, including the fields asked on the intake form, the employee agreement form, or the manager check-in task, can be changed by describing the change in plain English or editing the steps directly in the workflow editor. Earlier versions of the workflow are kept, so changes can be reviewed later.

Does the HR closure task hold up the employee's completion email?

No. The HR closure task is fire-and-forget, meaning the workflow doesn't wait for it before finishing. The employee's completion email is sent once the status is set to Completed, while the closure task with its Closure Notes stays on the record's task list to be finished within 3 days.

What does the employee actually receive by email during their return to work?

The employee receives an acknowledgement email with their reference number after submitting the intake form, an emailed form asking them to agree to proposed duties and adjustments, and a final completion email confirming their return to work is complete. They take part entirely through these emailed forms without needing an account.

How can we track the status of multiple return-to-work cases at once?

Each return-to-work request is a record with its own reference number, status, and timeline showing every step, decision and recorded answer. Table views and dashboards display these records by status, such as Submitted, Awaiting Agreement, Returning or Completed, making it easier to see where every case stands.