Leaving the business due to ill health

A referral for consideration for Ill health retirement due to ill health (IHR) is the first stage of a medical retirement process. It is usually triggered as a result of an employee having a serious health condition which has led to long term absence or significant restriction on fitness for work that has placed unsustainable limitations on the employee’s performance.

More often than not, before the actual last day of service for a member of your staff leaving on health grounds, there may have been several months of absence. During this time, you or other managers may have been working with the employee and your occupational health provider to see whether a recovery and return to work was possible and they may or may not meet the criteria for IHR and this can be difficult to manage for the employee, if they do not meet the criteria for IHR.

As the employee’s manager, you are likely to have a role in the administration of the employee’s retirement, which will involve meeting and discussing the proposal and agreeing a way forward.

The employee may have mixed emotions and feelings around the topic of leaving the business due to ill health. These could vary from one end of the spectrum to another, and may include:

Stress – due to an ongoing process and appointments
Reluctance to leave – a belief that the condition will improve
Unhappiness – leaving colleagues and the workplace
Disappointment – that the business couldn’t wait any longer
Disbelief – that the situation is so serious and means a loss of their job
Fear – of an unknown and uncertain future
Elation – glad to seen an end to the process
Eagerness – anticipating the future
Happiness – willing to embrace the change
Acceptance – of the situation, and the need to look for other opportunities
Relief – that the process is about to end, which may feel like a weight lifted from their shoulders

Having kept in touch with the employee throughout any absences and knowing them as an employee, there is probably little doubt that you will have some idea about how the employee feels about this outcome and their health condition.

Having this knowledge, you should be able to prepare for your meeting with them, whether it is arranged at their home or in your office. In some cases, there may be no need to see the employee, as they may prefer to accept the offer in writing and formally agree to the process in that way.

It is possible that due to the length of absence, you have never worked with the employee, in which case it is recommended you find out some background information from colleagues so that when you see the employee you can discuss issues they can relate to, and help them to feel a valued member of the team.

It might even be helpful to arrange for another manager who knows the employee well to be present or accompany you. It may be very upsetting for an employee to think that the manager who conducted the appointment ‘didn’t have a clue’ about them or the value they had contributed to the company over the years.

Every person is different, and what suits one may not suit another. General conversation about their hopes and expectations and their time in the company will all serve to give some good grounds for discussion. Of course, there will always be the formalities to deal with and information on this process should be available from your internal HR department.