Invitation to absent employee to work-related event

Our letter enables you to invite absent employees, such as those on long-term sick leave or maternity leave, to any work-related events. It sets out the details of the event but makes clear that the employee’s attendance is entirely optional. Make sure you invite absent employees to key events, such as a summer ball or a training or team building day.

Work-related event

When an employee is absent from work on a long-term basis, whether that’s due to illness, maternity, adoption or shared parental leave, a career break or for any other reason, out of sight should not mean out of mind. As well as keeping them informed of key developments at work, including job vacancies and business re-organisations, it’s also important to ensure they’re not excluded from major work-related social events. You don’t have to invite them to impromptu staff drinks that take place after work, but you should invite them to, say, your annual summer BBQ or Christmas party. If you have an annual staff training or team building day, invite them to that too as it doesn’t need to be a social event. However, in this case, you’ll need to consider paying them for the day if it’s work or training and not entirely pleasure, and especially if your other employees are being paid for the day. Work or training will also constitute a keeping in touch day for the purposes of maternity or adoption leave or a shared parental leave in touch day for the purposes of shared parental leave.

Invitation

Use our Invitation to Absent Employee to Work-Related Event to invite the absent employee to your event. As well as setting out the details of the event, including date, time and location, and an RSVP deadline, it confirms that the employee’s attendance is entirely optional, so make clear that attendance is their choice. If there’s a dress code for the event, tell them what it is and, if you’re providing food, ask them to notify you of any special dietary requirements. If you intend to provide alcohol, also provide a choice of soft drinks.

Best behaviour

Finally, in advance of your event, it’s worth reminding employees in writing about the standards of behaviour you expect from them, even more so if you’re providing them with free alcohol. Our invitation therefore also gives you the option to enclose our Statement in Advance of a Work-Related Event, which sets out clear guidelines on the standards of conduct expected and the consequences of non-compliance, i.e. possible dismissal for gross misconduct.