Absenteeism is rising across many workplaces. On average, US employees take around 3 to 4.5 sick days each year.

You can't control the winter flu season or someone's chronic health condition. But you can control how you respond when people return to work.



Most business owners skip a simple 10-minute conversation that can help to reduce repeat absences.

What are return-to-work conversations?

When someone comes back after being out sick, have a brief, friendly conversation about how they're doing. That's it.

These conversations show your team that they matter as people. They help you to spot if there's something you need to know about. And they keep you informed rather than constantly surprised.

It's not about checking up on people or making them prove they were genuinely unwell. It's about making sure they have what they need to stay healthy at work.

Do:

Start with "How are you feeling now?"

Let them talk

Follow up with "Is there anything we should know about or can support you with?"

Keep it conversational

Don't:

Make it feel formal or defensive

Ask for medical details you don't need

Start with "We need to talk about your attendance record"

Turn it into an interrogation

The difference it makes:

Business owners who have these conversations see fewer repeat absences. People raise issues before they become bigger problems. Managers feel more in control, instead of constantly scrambling to cover shifts or workloads. The whole team notices when you handle absence with care. It builds trust across everyone, not just the person who was out. If you're not doing this already, start here. 10 minutes that can help to break the cycle of repeat absences and build a team that actually wants to be at work.