Return-to-Work Rate
Percentage of employees returning to work within a defined period following long-term sickness absence
What is Return-to-Work Rate?
Return-to-work rate is the percentage of employees on long-term absence who come back to work. It shows how well an organisation supports people through illness or injury.
A supportive return process helps people recover, keeps their skills and reduces the cost of absence.
How this KPI is measured
- Function
- Human Resources
- Sub-function
- Wellbeing
- Industry
- All Industries
- Type
- Lagging
- Impact
- People
- Unit
- %
- Measurement frequency
- Quarterly / Annual
- Formula
- (Employees returning from long-term absence / Total employees on long-term absence) × 100
How to calculate it
Divide employees returning from long-term absence by total employees on long-term absence, and multiply by 100.
For example, if 60 of 80 employees on long-term absence returned to work, the rate is 75%.
Define long-term absence clearly, and follow each case, including any adjustments made, such as phased returns.
Where it is used
Supporting recovery
Keep people connected.
Reducing cost of absence
Bring people back sooner.
Meeting legal duties
Make reasonable adjustments.
How to improve it
Tips and common mistakes
- Handle health information with care and follow the law.
- Support matters more than pressure.
- Track how long returns last.
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