Sickness and absence

Occupational health referral letter

Explains to the employee why you are referring them to occupational health, what you will ask, and asks for their consent.

You need medical advice to make a decision fairly: how long an absence is likely to last, what adjustments would help, whether they are fit for their role or an alternative. Referral needs the employee's consent, and they are entitled to see the questions you ask.

Before it goes

  • You have an occupational health provider, or a GP report route under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988.
  • You know the questions you want answered. Vague referrals get vague reports.

The letter

[COMPANY NAME] [COMPANY ADDRESS] [DATE] [EMPLOYEE NAME] [EMPLOYEE ADDRESS] Dear [EMPLOYEE FIRST NAME], Referral to occupational health Following our meeting on [MEETING DATE], I am writing to confirm that, with your agreement, I would like to refer you to our occupational health provider, [PROVIDER NAME]. The purpose of the referral is to get independent medical advice so that we can support you properly and make any decisions about your work fairly. We will ask the occupational health adviser the following questions: 1. What is the likely length of your current absence, and is a return to work foreseeable? 2. Are there any adjustments to your role, hours, duties or workplace that would help you return to or remain at work? 3. Is your condition likely to be considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010? 4. Is there anything else the company should know to support you? [5. Any other question specific to the role, e.g. Is [EMPLOYEE NAME] fit to carry out safety-critical duties including …?] I enclose a copy of the referral form so that you can see exactly what we have said and asked. [PROVIDER NAME] will contact you to arrange an appointment, which may be by telephone, video or in person, and the company will pay for it. The report will be sent to [me / HR] and you can ask the provider to let you see it first. You have the right to ask for a copy at any time. The report will be used only for the purpose set out above and stored securely with restricted access. Please sign and return the enclosed consent form by [DATE]. If you would rather not be referred, tell me; but without medical advice we may have to make decisions on the information we have, and I would rather we had a proper picture. Yours sincerely, [MANAGER NAME] [JOB TITLE] [COMPANY NAME] I consent to the occupational health referral described above. Signed: ______________________ Date: ____________ [EMPLOYEE NAME]

Filling it in

The questions
Ask what you need to decide. Return date, adjustments, whether the Equality Act is likely to apply, fitness for specific duties. Not the diagnosis.
Consent
Freely given. The last paragraph is honest about the consequence of refusing without being a threat.

What the law says

  • Access to Medical Reports Act 1988: consent is required before approaching the employee's own doctor, and the employee may ask to see the report before it is sent to you.
  • UK GDPR Art.9 and Data Protection Act 2018 Sch.1: health information is special category data; process it only for the stated purpose and keep it secure.
  • Equality Act 2010 ss.6, 15 and 20: a long-term condition may be a disability; treating someone unfavourably because of something arising from it must be justified, and reasonable adjustments must be considered.
Guidance, not legal advice. Employment law moves; check the current position before relying on any of it, and take advice on anything that could end someone's employment.

What turns this letter into a claim

  • Do not refer without telling them what you have asked. They are entitled to see it, and hiding it poisons the process.
  • Do not decide before the report arrives. The referral is to inform the decision, not to paper over one already made.

Questions people ask

Can the employee refuse an occupational health referral?

Yes. You cannot force a medical examination. If they refuse, you can make decisions on the information available, having told them so, and a tribunal will generally accept that if the refusal was unreasonable. Most people consent when the questions are shared and fair.

Occupational health or the employee's GP?

Occupational health understands work and answers the work questions; a GP knows the patient and usually answers narrower questions. For anything beyond a simple return date, OH. Many providers do a telephone assessment for a modest fee.

The letter, with the names already in

Employ AI drafts letters like this one from the employee's record, so the dates, service and pay are already right, and the disciplinary module writes the invitation and outcome letters from the case itself. All 44 letter families, 49 UK policies, GPS clock-in, rotas, leave and timesheets: £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee. 14 days free, no card.

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