HR Advice Hub

When Should You Refer an Employee to Occupational Health?

Occupational Health is something many employers have heard of - but knowing when to actually use it can feel less straightforward.

Managers and business owners often wonder: Do you only refer someone after a long sickness absence? What if the issue is linked to performance, stress, or wellbeing instead? Do we even need Occupational health Support?

In reality, Occupational Health can guide employers in a wide range of workplace situations, often before problems become more serious.

Used appropriately, it can help businesses make more informed, fair, and practical decisions when employee health may be affecting work.

What Is Occupational Health?

Occupational Health (OH) is a medical advisory service that helps employers understand how an employee’s health may impact their role or ability to work. The aim is usually to provide guidance around:

• fitness for work

• workplace support

• possible adjustments

• return-to-work planning

• ongoing health-related concerns

Occupational Health is not there to make disciplinary decisions or “take sides.” Instead, it provides independent medical advice to help employers manage situations more appropriately and confidently.

Many businesses assume Occupational Health is only something used by large organisations, but smaller businesses can access Occupational Health support too.

Common Reasons to Refer an Employee to Occupational Health

Every workplace is different, but some of the most common reasons include:

Ongoing or Repeated Sickness Absence: This is probably the situation most employers associate with Occupational Health. If an employee has:

• been absent for a longer period

• had several periods of sickness absence

• returned to work but continues to struggle

…an OH referral can help provide clearer guidance on next steps. This can be particularly useful where there’s uncertainty around:

• likely timescales

• workplace support

• return-to-work planning

• underlying medical issues

Concerns Around Stress or Mental Health: Sometimes employees may appear overwhelmed, withdrawn, exhausted, or emotionally distressed - even if they haven’t formally gone off sick. An Occupational Health referral can help employers better understand:

• whether work may be contributing to the issue

• what support could help

• whether adjustments should be considered

• how to manage the situation more appropriately

Importantly, it can also show that the employer is taking wellbeing concerns seriously rather than ignoring warning signs.

Performance Concerns Linked to Health: Not all performance issues are purely performance issues. Sometimes employers notice:

• changes in concentration

• reduced output

• mistakes increasing

• unusual behaviour

• difficulty coping with workload

Where there’s a possibility that health could be contributing, Occupational Health can help create a clearer picture before moving into formal processes. This is particularly important where medical conditions, stress, menopause symptoms, neurodiversity, or medication side effects may be relevant.

Considering Workplace Adjustments: Occupational Health can also help where an employee may need support or adjustments to remain in work safely and effectively. This might include recommendations around:

• working hours

• workload

• equipment

• hybrid working

• phased returns

• temporary adjustments

• physical working environments

For smaller businesses especially, having medical guidance can help employers feel more confident in deciding what adjustments are reasonable and practical.

After a Serious Illness or Injury: An OH referral can also be useful when someone is returning after:

• surgery

• a serious injury

• cancer treatment

• long-term illness

• mental health absence

In these situations, employers are often trying to balance:

• supporting the employee

• operational pressures

• health and safety considerations

• fairness to the wider team

Occupational Health can help provide more structured guidance during what can otherwise feel like a difficult grey area.

Should You Wait Until Things Become Serious?

Not necessarily. One of the biggest misconceptions around Occupational Health is that it’s only used in extreme situations or very long-term absence cases. In reality, earlier intervention is often more effective. Using Occupational Health proactively can sometimes:

• prevent absence from escalating

• improve communication

• reduce uncertainty

• support better employee relations

• help employers make fairer decisions

It can also help demonstrate that the business has taken reasonable steps to support the employee.

Occupational Health vs GP Advice

Employers are sometimes unsure what happens if Occupational Health advice differs from information provided by an employee’s GP.

In practice, Occupational Health and GPs often serve slightly different purposes. A GP’s focus is primarily medical treatment and patient care, whereas Occupational Health focuses on how health may affect someone in the workplace and what support or adjustments may help.

Where advice differs, employers should usually consider the full picture carefully rather than automatically treating one opinion as more important than the other.

A Quick Note on Consent

Employees cannot be forced to participate in Occupational Health assessments and medical consent still matters. However, employers can often explain:

• why the referral is being suggested

• what support is being explored

• how the information will be used

Need HR Support?

Managing employee wellbeing, sickness absence, and sensitive workplace situations can feel difficult - especially for smaller businesses without in-house HR support.

BloomHR provides practical, supportive HR advice to help employers handle employee issues fairly, confidently, and with less stress. Contact us for more information on how we can help.