Almost nine in 10 of our respondents rely on line managers and supervisors to interview employees on their return from sick leave. But almost half told us that line managers were not prepared to take full responsibility for arranging, conducting and recording the interviews. More than half of employers surveyed feel that return-to-work interviews are not being used consistently throughout their organisation.

As one employer told us:

"Line managers are reluctant to conduct return-to-work interviews; they think it is an HR issue, not ‘business’. Though training is available, they avoid it. . . Whilst HR presses to have absence management taken seriously, line management generally feel that having the person absent is a big enough inconvenience without then having to spend time managing the absence/return/potential ongoing issues".

Training and developing line managers in conducting return-to-work interviews can alter their approach and commitment. But training has to be comprehensive, and is most effective when focused specifically on using return-to-work interviews to manage absence. Ideally, it should include advanced interviewing skills; the cost of absenteeism to the organisation; and, the role of line managers in managing absenteeism.