Everyone has a role to play in a successful return - the returning Individual, their Group, their Line manager and their Organisation. The IGLOO hub provides information and guidance to support a shared approach to return to work.
This e-learning resource includes four tailored toolkits:
- Individual toolkit - for returning individuals
- Group toolkit - for work groups, colleagues, team members
- Line manager toolkit - for those managing a returning worker
- Organisation toolkit - for HR and OH professionals, senior leaders and others responsible for absence management in their organisation.
The toolkits aim to help everyone involved in the return to work journey to take timely and appropriate action, to develop confidence in navigating return to work and help returning employees to return to and stay in work following sickness absence. The information contained in the toolkit complies with NICE guidelines and the latest CIPD guidance on absence management.
The toolkits have been designed in consultation with returning workers, their colleagues, line managers, occupational health and rehabilitation professionals and HR professionals to guide those involved in the return to work journey in focus activities that support good clear open conversations around health and work. The toolkits have also been piloted with these groups and changes to the toolkits have been made based on their recommendations.
Developing the IGLOO hub and toolkits
Eight steps informed the development of the IGLOO hub:
- Review of the academic and practitioner research and guidance to identify factors that influence a successful and sustainable return to work, including our own research (see Research Foundations below)
- Consultation with returning workers, line managers, occupational health and rehabilitation professionals, and HR professionals to understand what works and what does not when it comes to return to work
- Reflection on learnings from the design and testing of previous toolkits and guidance to support return to work following sickness absence
- Development of an overarching framework for the toolkits
- Sense-checking of the overarching framework for the toolkits
- Development of prototype toolkits by the development team
- Testing of the toolkits for readability, comprehensiveness and usefulness by returning workers, line managers, business owners and supporting professionals
- Refinement of the toolkits following feedback
Testing the IGLOO hub and toolkits: NIHR Sustainable return to work study
The IGLOO hub and toolkits are being independently evaluated as part of a study funded by the NIHR. Led by Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust (RDaSH), academics from Loughborough University, University of Sheffield and Leicester University are working with organisations in the North of England to examine the reach, adoption and impact of the IGLOO toolkits.
Research foundations
Our research team have been investigating what works in supporting return to work for over 15 years.
An overview of our research can be found here: https://www.affinityhealthatwork.com/igloo
Key examples of this work include:
Nielsen K. Yarker J, Munir F, Bultmann U (2018). IGLOO: An integrated framework for sustainable return to work in workers with common mental health disorders. Work & Stress, https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2018.1438536
Nielsen, Yarker, Evans (2019). Thriving at work (IGLOo) : https://productivityinsightsnetwork.co.uk
Yarker, Munir, Lewis (2020). Work adjustments for mental ill-health report visit: https://www.acas.org.uk/work-adjustments-for-mental-health-a-review-of-the-evidence-and-guidance-html
Nielsen, K., & Yarker, J. (2020). Job crafting as a work adjustment strategy for workers returning after long-term sickness absence due to common mental health disorders, Int J Rehabil Res, doi: 10.1097/MRR.000398
Yarker, J., Sinclair, A., & Lewis, R. (2020). Work adjustments for mental health work adjustments: a review of the evidence and guidance. Acas, UK
CIPD guidance: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/absence/support-long-term-health-conditions
CIPD guidance: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/absence/managing-return-to-work-after-long-term-absence#gref
