Welfare Meetings: When Should You Have One, and What Should You Talk About?
If someone in your team is off sick, struggling at work, coming back after a long absence or going through a big change at work, a welfare meeting is one of the best ways understand more and enable you to provide appropriate support.
A welfare meeting is an opportunity to have an open conversation about how they’re doing, and work out what might help.
It can also help you spot whether reasonable adjustments, a phased return or other support might be needed. Knowing what’s appropriate (and what’s “reasonable”) isn’t always straightforward, though, and it can carry legal implications – so if you’re unsure, please give us a call.
What should you talk about?
Every conversation will be different, but a simple structure helps keep things on track:
- Check in. Start by asking how they are, and really give them room to talk.
- Get the full picture. What’s going on right now? Has anything changed since you last spoke?
- Talk about work. Is anything about their role, workload, working relationships or environment making things harder? If they’re off, what might a return look like?
- Explore support. Could Occupational Health, reasonable adjustments, temporary changes to duties or a phased return help?
- Agree next steps. Make sure you both leave knowing what’s been agreed and who’s doing what.
- Set a review date. Where it makes sense, agree when you’ll catch up again.
Throughout, keep the focus on support, communication and understanding what’s going on for them.
Don’t forget to keep a note
It’s good practice to keep a brief record of each welfare meeting, covering:
- the date and who was there
- the main points you discussed
- any support considered and adjustments agreed
- actions, and who’s responsible for them
- your review date
Keep notes factual and proportionate, and store them securely – especially if they include health or other sensitive personal information. Not sure what to record, how long to keep it or who should see it? We can help with that.
What should you ask?
The right questions depend on the situation, but aim to keep them open, supportive and non-judgemental. Here are a few to get you started.
To get the conversation going:
- How are you feeling at the moment?
- How have things been since we last spoke?
- Is there anything you’d like to talk about today?
- Is there anything you think I should be aware of?
To understand what’s going on:
- How are you managing at the moment?
- Is anything making things harder for you right now?
- Is there anything at work that’s affecting your wellbeing?
- Is there anything outside work affecting you that you’d like to talk about?
- Is there anything we could do as an organisation to support you?
The one question you shouldn’t skip
Sometimes the simplest question is the most powerful:
“What can we do to support you?”
It gives your employee the chance to tell you what they actually need, rather than you having to guess.
So, how do you know it went well?
A good welfare meeting isn’t judged on whether someone comes back to work. It’s judged on whether you both come away with a clearer understanding of their circumstances, and some practical steps to support their wellbeing and their ability to work.
Need a hand?
Every situation is different, and welfare conversations can quickly become complicated – particularly where health conditions, disability, long-term absence or a possible move into formal absence management are involved. If you’d like help planning a meeting, deciding what support is appropriate or working out your next steps, get in touch. We’re always happy to provide the support you need.