Generally the reason for an employee to be referred to occupational health is to help management to understand whether an employee’s health might be affecting their fitness to work. Employers will want to support the health and wellbeing of their employees and they need to consider a range of legislation in relation to their responsibilities.
A management referral to a team of Occupational Health specialists is the appropriate way to obtain a detailed report on the employees’ health. The report should be concise, focussed, relevant and should assist the manager to progress and move the situation forward.
Let’s begin with what to include in the referral: –
There must be a clear reason for the referral, for example, some managers may want an employee assessed for a specific purpose- are they fit for a safety critical role following a heart attack?
In another situation, the manager may want supportive advice for an employee who is not coping at work due to having a difficult time with their health, for example, an impact on mental health, stress and struggling with their job.
It is equally very important to get the timing right. There will be limited value in referring an employee who is under investigation to determine a firm diagnosis. In the same way, an employee who has undergone surgery will need time to recover before a return to work can be considered. On the other hand, an employee who is experiencing stress related or mental health problems are likely to benefit from an early referral. HR or the manager should arrange to speak to Sarsen Health about the best time to make the referral.
The management referral should include details of sickness absence, copies of self-certificates and GP Fit Notes. Any concerns about performance or work capability, conduct that may relate to a health issue should be included. In having said this, there should be no surprises for the employee, who should be made aware of what is being asked of Occupational Health.
There is space on Sarsen Health Management Referral to include what is known about the health problems and any observations on how these seem to impact on work.
Key Questions On the Management Referral
Ideally, Management Referrals should be limited for four to six questions, which will provide sufficient information on the current situation. Key questions might be:
- Is the employee fit to undertake their role?
- If they are absent due to health problems, when might they be likely to return to work?
- Is a phased return recommended or reduced or altered duties?
- Are any adjustments needed that might help the employee in their role or any restrictions on what they might be able to do?
- Is the employee receiving appropriate medical treatment?
- Is the employee taking any medication, and it that likely to impair their ability to do their job safety and effectively?
- Are there any implications with regard to ongoing treatment that will require continuing support?
- Should this employee be considered for ill health retirement?
It is not usually helpful to ask –
- What are the details of this person’s illness- this is confidential information
- What mediation is the employee taking? This is confidential and not generally relevant
- Is the employee likely to be in regular attendance in the future?
- It is not possible to provide an opinion here with any certainty as attendance depends on a range of factors.
- Or what is the diagnosis and prognosis- in a complex case there is likely to be no way of knowing for sure- a GP or treating specialist will not be able to provide this information either!
Key Points for the Management Referral
The clearer and more relevant the reasons behind the referral, the better responses will be provided and better OH advice.
The employee needs to know from HR/manager the precise reason for the referral, must have agreed to the OH Consultation and be aware of the content of the referral.
The more supportive the referral, the more likely it is that there will be a beneficial outcome.
Sometimes, but not often, if may be necessary to obtain further medical information about the employee if the clinical picture is unclear.
The Occupational Health Consultation
The consultation could be face to face at our Woking offices, or remotely via MS Teams or rarely by phone- it will depend what is most suitable for the employee and the consultation.
The OH Professional will explain who they are and the reason for the contact/referral. They will agree how health information is to be stored. The clinical information obtained in the Occupational Health consultation is confidential and between the employee and the health professional. The OH Professional needs to gain the trust of the employee in a very short space of time, and this takes many years of training and experience. The health assessment includes taking a detailed medical and occupational history, and consideration of a range of social and psychological factors.
The employee has the right to see the report before it is sent to their employer and to ‘check the facts’. They can disagree with the Occupational Health opinion but the health professional is not obliged to change it, but may note in the report that the employee disagrees. In a very small number of cases the employee does not agree to release of the report to management and in that case, it cannot be released and remains on file.
OH Professionals – Who are they?
OH Professionals are doctors and nurses- both will have specialist registered qualifications in Occupational Health, experience and training often at Masters Degree level. All health professionals at Sarsen Health are qualified at this level. Most Occupational Health consultations are conducted by Occupational Health Nurses.
The OH Report – Management Referral.
What should it include?
The report should provide a background to the situation and this does not necessarily mean that the medical condition will be discussed in detail as this is not essentially relevant. What is important is the opinion on fitness for the role, the impact of symptoms, and advice on adjustments for management to consider. The report should answer managements questions clearly and include only what is relevant to the management referral, and advise on a review appointment as required.
The management referral report will be addressed to the referring manager, and will be marked strictly confidential, it is therefore for the manager to decide with whom to share the report. The Occupational Health professional will record their name and qualification at the end of the report.
If clarification is required on any aspect of the report, then a conversation with Sarsen Health will resolve this.