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As appropriate, engage the employee in plans to cover their workload during their leave. Request that they draft a list of projects/activities currently in the works and guidance on handling them. 

Identify the employee’s tasks that must be reassigned or handled differently in their absence. 

Cross-train other employees to cover the employee’s duties; this may be a development opportunity for the employee(s) who is covering. 

For shorter leaves, evaluate the schedule of other employees who may be able to cover shifts. Avoid overworking staff, as that can lead to burnout and turnover. 

Calculate overtime needed to cover workload and review staffing budgets. 

For longer leaves, consider covering the absent employee’s workload with a temporary worker. Use a temporary staffing firm or hire a temporary employee. Consider redesigning workflows temporarily to reduce the learning curve and downtime. 

If hiring a temporary employee, be clear in your communications to that person about their temporary status to avoid complications. 

Manage the offboarding of temporary workers hired. If impressed with their job performance, consider recruiting them for current or future open positions. Consider an exit interview with them to gather feedback and possible insights into the workflow and overall workplace conditions. In a competitive, tight labor market, it is important to offboard in a way that protects your organization’s community reputation. 

Revisit the allocation of duties with staff who helped cover. Request their feedback for any adjustments made or observations of the duties. It is possible that fresh eyes on the work may result in improvements. 

Encourage the employee’s manager to welcome back the employee and set them up for a successful re-entry to the workplace team. For example, schedule downtime for the returning employee so they can come back up to speed on what they missed by checking emails, meeting with team members, reviewing reports, etc. Allow for scheduling overlap between the employee and those who covered for them to facilitate a successful shift of work back to the employee. Provide training if new technology or other workflow changes were adopted during their absence. 

Re-onboard the employee. During the employee’s absence, there may have been changes to handbook policies, procedures, job expectations, and more. Collect new acknowledgment sheets as necessary and orient the employee to the changes. HR may need to check with the employee on benefits and/or beneficiary changes if a change in life event occurred. Consider assigning a “buddy” to re-orient them to the workplace if significant changes have occurred to their team, assignments, etc. 

Celebrate their return. Decorate the employee’s desk/workspace, post a sign on the bulletin board, and email the team. Rebuild workplace relationships with a welcome-back gathering that also acknowledges the extra efforts made by the team to cover the absent employee. Important: Such a celebration may not be appropriate. Check with the employee to see if they are comfortable with this idea; they may prefer a quieter return to work and no extra attention from their colleagues. 

Be aware of potential limitations or disabilities (temporary and permanent) that may impact the employee’s ability to do their jobs to the full extent compared with before their leave. Consider an ergonomic checkup of their workstation. Review the need for reasonable accommodations under federal or state law.