Good communication with your employer is key to a successful return to work. By staying in touch during your sick leave, you maintain your connection to the workplace and ensure good cooperation about your return.
Many people on sick leave are unsure about how to communicate with their employer. How much should I share? How often should I get in touch? What if I don't know when I'm coming back? These concerns are natural – but good communication doesn't have to be complicated.
In this guide, you'll get concrete advice on how to stay in touch, what you can talk about, and how to ensure good expectation alignment.
Why is ongoing contact important?
There are several good reasons to maintain regular contact with your employer during your sick leave:
- Maintains your connection: When you stay in touch, the workplace feels less foreign when you return. You're still part of the team.
- Ensures good cooperation: Your employer knows where you are in the process and can plan accordingly. This creates security for both parties.
- Gives you insight: You get the opportunity to explain what you need, so your employer can prepare to meet your needs.
- Reduces anxiety: The more you know about the situation at work, the less uncertainty you typically experience.
Remember: You decide how much you want to share about your health situation. You're not obligated to share details about your diagnosis – only what's necessary to plan your return.
What can you talk about?
When communicating with your employer, you can focus on the following topics:
Practical matters
- Status on your situation: Where are you in your sick leave? What's the prognosis?
- Timeline: When do you expect to be able to return – even to a limited extent?
- Plan for next contact: When will you talk next?
Your return
- Work tasks: Which tasks can you handle – and which can't you?
- Hours: How many hours can you start with?
- Accommodations: What do you need in terms of work adjustments?
- Gradual return plan: What does the process look like from start to finish?
Expectation alignment
Expectation alignment is important to avoid misunderstandings. Make sure you agree on:
- What's expected of you in the first weeks?
- Which tasks have the highest priority?
- Who can you turn to if you need help?
- When will you evaluate how things are going?
How do you maintain contact?
The best way to maintain contact is something you probably know best yourself. It depends on your relationship with your employer and your own situation. The important thing is that contact happens at meaningful intervals.
Forms of contact
You can choose between different forms of contact:
- Phone calls: Quick and informal. Good for ongoing updates.
- Email: Gives you time to think about what you want to say. Good for written documentation of agreements.
- Coffee meeting: More personal and allows for a deeper conversation. Doesn't have to be at the workplace – you can meet at a neutral location.
- Video meeting: A good middle ground if a physical meeting is too demanding, but phone is too impersonal.
Tip: Choose the form of contact that feels most comfortable for you. If you have anxiety about calling, write an email. If you need to see your employer face to face, suggest a coffee meeting.
How often?
There's no fixed answer to how often you should get in touch. It depends on:
- How long your sick leave is
- How close you are to returning
- What feels right for you
As a starting point, you can agree to make contact every two weeks. As you get closer to returning, it may be relevant to increase the frequency.
How to structure the conversation
Here's a simple structure you can use for your conversations with your employer:
- Give an update: Briefly explain where you are in your sick leave. You don't need to share details – just the overall picture.
- Share your thoughts about returning: What do you think about coming back? Is there anything you already know you need?
- Listen to your employer's perspective: Is there anything at the workplace you should know about? Changes, new tasks, new organization?
- Agree on next contact: When will you talk again? What should you discuss next time?
By ending with an agreement about the next contact, you ensure an ongoing dialogue leading up to your return.
If you need support
If you or your employer need guidance in the process, you can contact your caseworker at the job center (jobcenter). In Denmark, the caseworker can:
- Help facilitate contact between you and your employer
- Participate in meetings if necessary
- Advise on options such as accommodations and compensatory schemes
- Help develop a gradual return plan
It's completely legitimate to ask for help. Your caseworker is there to support you.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Completely withdrawing: Even though it can be tempting to isolate yourself, it's rarely a good idea. Some contact keeps the door open.
- Promising too much: Be realistic about when you can return and how much you can handle. It's better to surprise positively than to disappoint.
- Not aligning expectations: Assumptions lead to misunderstandings. Make sure you agree on what's expected.
- Forgetting to document: Important agreements should be written down so you can both remember them.
Practical tips
- Reach out when you're ready – but not too late
- Choose the form of contact that works best for you
- Prepare before the conversation – write notes if it helps
- Be honest about what you know and don't know
- Always agree on the next contact before the conversation ends
- Ask your caseworker for help if you need it
- Write down important agreements
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tell my employer what's wrong with me?
No, you're not obligated to share your diagnosis. You can choose to say "I'm on sick leave due to health issues" without going into detail. Only share what you're comfortable with.
What if my employer pressures me to return too quickly?
Your employer may not pressure you to return before you're ready. If you experience pressure, you can contact your caseworker or your union for advice. Your health comes first.
What if I don't know when I can return?
It's perfectly fair to say you don't know yet. Explain that you're following your doctor's advice and will let them know when you know more. Agree to check in again in about two weeks with an update.
Next step
You now have concrete advice for communicating with your employer during your sick leave. In the next and final guide, we look at working part-time – an option that may be relevant if you're further from the labor market.
Remember: Good communication is about mutual respect and openness. You don't need to have all the answers – you just need to keep the dialogue open.