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Guidance for Employee Engagement/​Scripts

The following sample scripts are intended to help supervisors, managers or HR professionals engage employees about absences. It’s essential to talk to your employees about absences, especially when there is a series or pattern of recurring absences that require an explanation. Direct engagement, like the samples below, are more effective than simply requesting a sick note.

Use these scripts along with other resources, like the absence management flow chart and the self-attestation form template to engage employees when they are away due to illness or injury.

Requesting Documentation

Hi [Employee’s Name], 

Thanks for staying in touch while you’ve been off. Since you’ve been away for more than a few days, I just wanted to connect and let you know we’ll need a completed self-attestation form when you’re ready to return. It’s a simple way for us to document the time away and ensure we’re meeting internal requirements. No doctor’s note is needed unless there’s an accommodation or extended leave issue. 

I’ll send it over shortly so it’s ready when you are. Let me know if you have any questions or need help with anything else right now. 

Initial Check-in

Hi [Employee’s Name], 

I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. We’ve noticed you’ve been off for a few days and hope you’re starting to feel better. When you’re able, could you let me know generally how you’re doing and if you have a sense of when you might be ready to return? 

I’m not looking for medical details, just enough information to support planning and ensure we’re offering any help you may need. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like us to be aware of in the meantime. 

Return-to-Work

Hi [Employee’s Name], 

Welcome back, it’s great to have you back. How are you feeling today? 

As part of our return-to-work process, I want to check in to make sure you’re feeling well enough to resume your regular duties, or if there’s anything you need to ease back in. If there’s an ongoing health issue that might affect your work or schedule, you’re welcome to share that with me so we can explore accommodations. Of course, you’re not required to share medical details, just any limitations or needs we should be aware of. 

Also, I want to remind you that we have [an Employee Assistance Program / access to community supports] that can help with a range of things, whether health-related, personal, or family support. I’m happy to connect you with more information if that’s useful. 

Finally, we’ll just need your self-attestation form for our records. Let me know if you have any questions as you ease back in. 

Concerning Pattern of Absences

Hi [Employee’s Name], 

Thanks for taking the time to meet. 

I wanted to check in because we’ve noticed a pattern of absences — [detail the pattern here] — and I wanted to better understand what might be going on. This isn’t a disciplinary conversation, and we’re not assuming anything — we just want to ensure that you’re supported and to get a clearer picture from your perspective. 

Sometimes repeated absences can be related to health issues that come and go, like migraines or chronic conditions. If that’s the case, we’re here to help. And if it’s something else, we’re open to talking through it together. 

Our goal is always to ensure a healthy, productive, and fair workplace for everyone. So, this is really a starting point to have a transparent conversation and see how we can move forward. 

If there’s anything you’d like to share, I’m here to listen.