Occupational Health Referrals For SMEs

Independent OH Assessments To Support Sickness Absence, Reasonable Adjustments And Fitness For Work Decisions

When Should You Consider An Occupational Health Referral?

Occupational Health referrals can provide valuable independent advice when an employee’s health is affecting their ability to attend work, perform their role or return to work following a period of absence. Common situations where employers benefit from an Occupational Health assessment include:

Long-term sickness absence: where you need guidance on likely timescales for recovery and return to work.
Repeated short-term absence: where there may be an underlying health condition contributing to attendance concerns.
Mental health concerns: including anxiety, depression, burnout and other conditions affecting workplace performance or attendance.
Stress-related absence: particularly where workplace factors may be contributing to the employee’s health.
Reasonable adjustments: where you need advice on supporting employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Return-to-work planning: including phased returns, temporary adjustments and fitness-for-work assessments.
Capability concerns: where an employee’s health may be affecting their ability to carry out their role safely and effectively.

If you are unsure whether an Occupational Health referral is appropriate, we can help assess the situation and advise on the most suitable next steps. You can also read our guide: When Should SMEs Use Occupational Health?

How Kea HR Can Help

Arranging an Occupational Health referral is only part of the process. Employers also need to decide whether a referral is appropriate, ask the right questions and understand how to apply the recommendations in practice.

Kea HR can manage the entire process on your behalf, helping you obtain the information you need to make informed decisions whilst supporting both your employee and your business.

Assess whether an Occupational Health referral is appropriate.
Recommend the most suitable Occupational Health provider.
Prepare referral paperwork and management referrals.
Draft tailored referral questions to obtain meaningful advice.
Review Occupational Health reports and recommendations.
Advise on reasonable adjustments and return-to-work plans.
Support absence review, capability and welfare meetings.
Provide practical guidance on next steps and implementation.

Whether you are dealing with long-term sickness absence, workplace stress, mental health concerns, disability-related issues or a complex return-to-work situation, we can help you navigate the process confidently and compliantly.

What Information Can Occupational Health Provide?

An Occupational Health assessment provides independent medical advice to help employers make informed decisions about managing health-related workplace issues. Whilst every report will be different, Occupational Health recommendations commonly address the following areas:

Fitness for work: whether the employee is currently fit to carry out their role and whether any restrictions should apply.
Return-to-work timescales: likely recovery periods and when the employee may be able to return to work.
Phased returns: recommendations for reduced hours, lighter duties or temporary adjustments to support a successful return.
Workplace adjustments: practical changes that may help the employee perform their role more effectively.
Equality Act considerations: whether the employee’s condition may meet the definition of a disability and whether reasonable adjustments should be considered.
Ongoing restrictions: activities, duties or working arrangements that may need to be avoided either temporarily or permanently.

Depending on the circumstances, an Occupational Health report may also provide guidance on future absence management, capability considerations, rehabilitation programmes, workplace support measures and whether further medical reviews are recommended.

Occupational Health professionals provide medical advice and recommendations. The responsibility for making employment decisions remains with the employer.

Why Choose Kea HR?

Occupational Health reports provide valuable medical advice, but employers often need support before and after the assessment takes place. Knowing when to make a referral, what questions to ask and how to apply the recommendations can be just as important as the report itself.

Kea HR provides practical, hands-on support throughout the process, helping SMEs manage employee health issues confidently, fairly and compliantly.

30+ years’ HR experience supporting businesses across a wide range of sectors.
CIPD-qualified expertise providing practical advice grounded in current employment law and HR best practice.
SME specialists who understand the challenges faced by smaller businesses and provide pragmatic solutions.
Independent advice focused on achieving the right outcome for your business and your employees.
End-to-end support from deciding whether a referral is needed through to implementing recommendations and managing next steps.
Practical guidance, not just reports helping you translate medical recommendations into workable business solutions.

Whether you need support with a single Occupational Health referral or ongoing advice on sickness absence and employee wellbeing, Kea HR can provide the expertise and reassurance you need.

Fees

Occupational Health provider fees vary depending on the type of assessment required. In addition, Kea HR charges for the time spent arranging referrals, preparing management questions, reviewing reports and advising on recommendations. All costs will be discussed and agreed before any referral is made.

Not sure whether Occupational Health is the right solution?

We’ll discuss your situation, explain the options available and help you decide on the most appropriate next steps.

Have a question about Occupational Health or managing employee health issues?

Speak directly with our CIPD-qualified HR expert with 30+ years’ experience.

Book Your Free Intro Call

Prefer Not To Book A Call?

Kea HR partner with a number of Occupational Health Advisors and can support you through the process. All you need to do is tell us about the situation you want assessing and we will book and adviser and forward the report to you when we receive it. From there we will work with you to bring the situation to a satisfactory conclusion.