How to Signpost Employee Health Support: A Guide for Managers and HR

Employees may need different types of health support at different times, from an EAP or occupational health to private healthcare or a workplace health assessment. Managers and HR teams need to know what's available, how employees can access it and when a particular service may be appropriate.

This guide looks at how to organise that support and how managers can have conversations about health without trying to provide medical advice themselves.

What health support should managers know about?

The first step is knowing what your organisation offers and how employees can access it.

This might include:

• Employee assistance programmes (EAPs): Confidential support for issues such as mental health, relationships, finances or other personal concerns, depending on the service.

• Occupational health: Specialist advice about how someone's health may affect their work, including adjustments, absence and returning to work.

• Private healthcare: Information about any medical insurance or healthcare services available through the organisation.

• Workplace health assessments: Assessments that give employees information about different aspects of their health and, where appropriate, guidance on what to do next.

• Internal support: HR and People teams, mental health first aiders, wellbeing teams or employee networks.

Managers don't need to know every detail of each service. They should know what each one is for, how employees access it and when it may be appropriate to suggest it.

Employee assistance programmes

If your organisation provides an EAP, managers should know:

• What types of support it offers
• How employees access it
• Whether employees can contact it directly
• Whether the service is confidential
• Whether support is available outside normal working hours

An EAP may provide access to counselling, practical advice or other forms of support, depending on the provider and the employer's scheme.

Occupational health

Managers should know how occupational health referrals work in their organisation, who can make a referral and what happens afterwards.

Occupational health can provide advice about issues such as reasonable adjustments, returning to work and managing health-related absence.

Private healthcare

If employees have access to private medical insurance or another healthcare benefit, managers should know where employees can find information about their cover.

They don't need to explain the medical benefits themselves. The important thing is knowing where to direct someone who wants to find out what's available.

Workplace health assessments

Workplace health assessments can give employees information about different aspects of their physical and mental health.

Depending on the assessment and package, this may include measurements, questionnaires and consultations, with further guidance where appropriate.

Other internal support

Your organisation may also have:

• Mental health first aiders or wellbeing champions
• Employee networks
• HR or People teams
• Health and safety teams
• Line-manager support or coaching
• Specific support for conditions such as cancer, menopause or musculoskeletal problems

Keep this information somewhere managers can find it quickly. It should include contact details, how employees access each service and a short explanation of what it is for.

How should a manager signpost an employee?

Once you know what support is available, the next step is knowing how to raise it with an employee.

Give the employee space to talk

Let the employee explain what's happening and what they're finding difficult. You don't need to ask for personal or medical details that aren't relevant to the workplace.

Open questions can help, such as:

“What would be most useful for you at the moment?”

or:

“Would you like me to explain what support we have available?”

Acas recommends giving employees time to talk, listening carefully and using open questions when discussing mental health or work-related stress.

Ask what would help

An employee may already know what they're looking for. They might want someone to talk to, advice about a health concern, help managing work alongside a health condition or information about a workplace benefit.

Ask rather than assume. If you're unsure which service would be appropriate, explain the options you know about and involve HR where necessary.

Explain the relevant support

Keep the conversation focused on the options that are most relevant to what the employee has told you.

For example:

“We have an EAP that you can contact directly. I can send you the details if you'd like.”

or:

“As this is affecting your work, we could talk to HR about whether an occupational health referral would be helpful.”

Agree on what happens next

Be clear about what you've agreed and who will take the next step. If the employee is going to contact a service themselves, make sure they have the information they need.

If HR or occupational health needs to be involved, explain what will happen and what information will be shared.

Check in again

Depending on the situation, it may be helpful to agree on a time to check in again.

You don't need to ask for confidential details about the employee's health. A simple question about whether they need anything from you at work may be enough.

When should a manager involve HR or occupational health?

Some situations need input beyond the manager's usual role.

Consider involving HR or occupational health when:

• An employee is asking for reasonable adjustments
• Their health is having a significant or ongoing effect on their ability to work
• They're experiencing repeated or prolonged absence
• A return to work needs additional support
• Specialist advice is needed about workplace adjustments
• There are concerns about health and safety
• The employee raises a formal workplace issue linked to their health
• You're unsure how to handle the situation

Occupational health can provide professional advice about someone's ability to work, reasonable adjustments, returning after sickness absence and managing health-related risks.

If there's an immediate concern about someone's safety, follow your organisation's emergency and safeguarding procedures rather than relying on routine signposting.

What about confidentiality?

Health information is sensitive, so managers should be clear about how information will be handled.

Don't share an employee's health information more widely than necessary. If someone tells you something in confidence, explain if there is a reason relevant information may need to be shared with HR, occupational health or another appropriate person.

Acas advises that information obtained through occupational health should be kept confidential and only made available to people who genuinely need access to it.

There may also be situations where information needs to be recorded, for example when an employee requests an adjustment or enters an occupational health process. Follow your organisation's policies and data protection procedures and avoid keeping unnecessary medical details in informal notes.

What does signposting look like in practice?

The type of support an employee needs will depend on their circumstances. These examples show how signposting can work across different areas of employee health.

Hypertension at work

If an employee is concerned about high blood pressure, a manager doesn't need to explain what their reading means or recommend treatment.

They can direct the employee towards appropriate healthcare advice and, where relevant, explain any workplace health assessment or healthcare benefits available.

See Hypertension at Work for more information about high blood pressure and work.

Mental health

An employee may tell their manager they're struggling with their mental health or that work is becoming difficult to manage.

The manager can explain the support available through the organisation and involve HR or occupational health where appropriate.

See for broader guidance.

Cancer

An employee with cancer may need workplace adjustments alongside external or specialist support.

A manager can discuss what the employee needs at work and involve HR or occupational health where appropriate.

See How to Support an Employee with Cancer for more guidance.

Anxiety

An employee experiencing anxiety may need practical changes to how they work as well as access to professional support.

A manager can discuss what they're finding difficult and explain the support available through the organisation.

See How to Support an Employee with Anxiety in the Workplace for more guidance.

A simple checklist for managers

Before signposting an employee, consider:

• Do I know which service is most relevant?
• Do I know how the employee can access it?
• Have I asked what they need rather than made assumptions?
• Do I need to involve HR or occupational health?
• Have I explained what will happen next?
• Have I been clear about how any information will be handled?

FAQs

What's the difference between signposting and providing support directly?

Signposting means helping an employee access an appropriate source of support. Managers can listen, discuss workplace needs and explain available services without providing clinical advice or treatment themselves.

When should a manager involve HR?

This will depend on the situation and your organisation's policies. HR may need to be involved when a health concern affects reasonable adjustments, formal absence management, employment processes or other matters outside the manager's role.

If you're unsure how to proceed, ask HR for advice rather than trying to manage the situation alone.

When is occupational health appropriate?

Occupational health can be useful when an employee's health is affecting their work and an employer needs professional advice about issues such as adjustments, absence or returning to work.

What should managers know about confidentiality?

Managers should only share relevant health information with people who need it and should follow their organisation's policies and data protection requirements.

Employees should understand how information they share will be used and when it may need to be passed to HR, occupational health or another appropriate person.

Supporting proactive employee health

Having clear routes into health support can make it easier for employees to access help when they need it.

Bluecrest Business Health assessments give employees an opportunity to look at different aspects of their health, including physical health and mental wellbeing. Depending on the package, employees may also have access to consultations and further guidance based on their results.

This can give employees a structured way to understand their health and consider what they may want to do next, while giving employers another way to support proactive employee health.

Find out more about Bluecrest Business Health assessments.