Staying Connected With Employees on Mental Health Leave

Before reaching out, pause to reflect. Even with good intentions, assumptions or unconscious bias about mental health injuries can shape your tone, expectations, or responses.

You may be aware of factors that contributed to the injury, for example pre-existing mental health concerns, personal circumstances, or being new to the sector. These details may shape your understanding, but they should not shape your judgement or approach.

Your role is to lead with compassion and curiosity, understand what support is helpful, and set the conditions for a safe, sustainable return to work.

Before engaging, ask yourself:

• How do I understand what led to the injury?

• What assumptions might I be making about the employee’s characteristics or situation?

• How could these assumptions influence the way I communicate or the expectations I bring into the conversation?

Intentional reflection sets the foundation for a respectful, supportive conversation.

Thoughtful planning reduces the risk of unintentional harm and increases the likelihood of meaningful engagement. Consider the following:

Identify the best person to maintain contact

Determine who has a positive, trusting relationship with the employee on leave.³ If that relationship does not exist, consider asking another supervisor, colleague, or HR representative to check in instead. Having the right person reach out reduces stress for the employee and increases the likelihood of meaningful engagement

Decide how to reach out

Use the employee’s preferred method where possible (for example, email, text, or phone).⁴ Phone calls allow deeper conversation, but an initial email or text can reduce pressure and avoid catching them off guard.

Determine timing

Reach out as soon as reasonably appropriate, taking into account the nature of the injury and the person’s circumstances.

Plan what to communicate.

The purpose of the first conversation is to^5:

• Express genuine concern for the employee’s wellbeing.

• Let them know they are missed.

• Reinforce your availability for support.

If no third-party disability management provider is involved, you may also need to ask about recovery progress.⁴ Regardless, keep your tone grounded in sensitivity, compassion, and care.

Once you have chosen the method, timing, and purpose, reach out and when appropriate, ask the employee what time would work best for a brief phone call.

Example text message:

“Hi [Name]! I hope you’re taking the time you need to rest and recover. We miss having you around and wanted to check in to see how we can best support you during this time. If you’re open to it, when would you feel comfortable with a brief phone call?”

If the employee does not respond, stay patient. Early contact can feel overwhelming, especially when the injury is recent. Respectful follow-up is often appreciated because it shows care and willingness to accommodate their needs. If there is no response, consider trying again in about a week.

Document your attempts to reach out, including the date, method, and general purpose of the contact. This supports continuity, shared understanding, and alignment with your duty to maintain appropriate communication during leave.

When the employee responds and is open to a conversation, your primary role is to listen, build trust, and understand how they are doing. In the early stages, focus on connection rather than problem-solving and let the employee guide the conversation based on their capacity in the moment.

Effective practices include:

• Create space for them to share by listening actively and validating their feelings before responding.

• If asked about work or responsibilities they left behind, respond briefly and honestly. Avoid volunteering information that could increase stress⁴

• Watch for signs of distress and gently shift the focus back to their wellbeing when needed.

• Ask how often they would feel comfortable with check-ins (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly). Building a plan together supports autonomy and clarity

• When appropriate and when employee is open to it, reconnect to meaningful aspects of work by asking:

    ◦ “What do you enjoy about work?”

    ◦ “What do you miss most about work?”

These questions can sustain a sense of purpose without focusing on limitations or timelines. They can also gently open the door to future conversations about accommodations or modified duties.

• Be transparent that your intention is to stay connected, not to rush a return to work. Reassure the employee that you are willing to explore options together when they are ready. This can help them start thinking about what a gradual return could look like.

Once trust is established and the employee is willing, structured tools can support conversations about accommodation and return to work, either during a phone call or in an informal setting such as a coffee chat.

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health has a comprehensive guide that can help you and the employee talk through what supports are needed to be successful at work. Reviewing these tools together can help normalize accommodation conversations and build shared understanding.

You can download the full PDF guide to access practical templates, key questions, and step-by-step guidance for these conversations.

One reflective question from the guide is: “What will allow you to be successful at your job and still have energy at the end of the day?”⁶

Using structured tools can support collaborative planning and help guide a sustainable, rather than rushed, return to work.