Agree a practical return-to-work plan

A conversation for the returning employee and manager; adjust it as work and access needs become clearer.

Keep private leave or health details out of shared work notes. Focus the conversation on current priorities, missing context, required access, and who will remove practical blockers. Use the applicable approved process for leave-related questions.

Plan the first days back

  1. 1

    Agree achievable priorities

    Choose up to three practical priorities for the initial work period and clarify their order.

  2. 2

    Name work to defer

    Identify tasks that should wait and agree who will arrange any needed coverage.

  3. 3

    Check required access

    List the systems and workspaces needed for the agreed priorities; the employee flags missing access and the manager helps route the request through the established access process.

  4. 4

    Reconnect with current work

    Ask the manager or an appropriate colleague for a concise update on changed routines, decisions, and deadlines.

  5. 5

    Schedule a check-in

    Choose a time to review workload, access, and priorities together and adjust the plan if needed.

Share the handoff between employee and manager

Both can revisit the plan at the check-in.

Returning employee

You do not need to include private leave details in shared notes.

  • Say which work is clearest to resume.
  • Say what context or access is missing.
  • Say whether a priority needs a different order.

Manager

Help the returning employee start with clear, visible commitments.

  • Make the first work commitments visible.
  • Arrange agreed coverage for deferred items.
  • Share current planning context.
  • Help remove practical blockers.

For leave-related questions

Use Leave Management to check a request or its status when that process is configured there.

Check Policy Hub or ask People Operations through the established channel for applicable policy or confidential-process guidance.