An employee has requested a leave of absence due to depression | Tasks for HR and Health Managers and connecting them with pre-return counseling

🗣️ If you heard someone say, “I want to rest,” what would you ask first?

You do not need to listen to the detailed causes and symptoms right from the start. Ask first if they can continue the conversation in a secluded area where no one else is coming and going. If the employee is tired or wants to keep the conversation brief, it is better to provide only the necessary application information for today and send the rest via text message.

If an employee continues speaking, do not interrupt with a judgmental remark such as, "Isn't it possible to come to work in that condition?" The National Mental Health Information Portal explains that various methods, including medication and psychotherapy, are used to treat major depressive disorder. A company cannot determine the necessity of treatment simply because the employee appeared cheerful or worked until the previous day.

The questions you ask the employee again should be closer to support than symptoms. You can start a conversation with simple questions like, “Is there anything specific you would like to be informed about today?” or “Which method do you prefer to be contacted regarding your application?” Rather than having the same situation explained to HR, the health manager, and the team leader in turn, please clarify what the application 담당자 (person in charge) and the support 담당자 (person in charge) are responsible for. While the relevant personnel should organize work-related matters among themselves, avoid sharing personal treatment records.

📄 Is sending the application the end of it? First, organize the answers the employee is waiting for.

Employees about to go on leave may wonder, “How long can I take time off?”, “What about my salary?”, and “Who should I send the documents to?” Rather than sending the entire regulations file, please identify the items applicable to this application and provide brief guidance. If it is difficult to give a definitive answer immediately, it is better to convey what you are currently verifying and when you will respond.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor advises checking the provisions set forth in collective agreements, employment rules, etc., regarding sick leave and leave of absence due to non-work-related injuries or illnesses. The duration or whether leave is paid is not uniformly determined solely by the diagnosis of depression. You must also fill in the details below by comparing them with the company's applicable regulations and contract. If there is a possibility of work-related illness or if separate legal proceedings have been initiated, please conduct a separate review.

For example, instead of stopping at "I need to check regulations regarding payroll," try saying, "I will check the applicable conditions with the payroll manager and get back to you. I will include the items currently under review and the expected reply date in the message I send today." If you include a date that can actually be met, employees won't have to ask the same question in multiple places.

Even if a medical certificate needs to be submitted, this does not mean you should share the details with your team leader and colleagues. Please separate the instructions regarding submitting necessary documents to the receptionist from the instructions regarding notifying the team of a work gap. It is advisable to clearly specify the submission path when providing the initial instructions to prevent employees from posting documents in the department group chat or sending the same file to multiple people because they are unaware of the submission location.

How far can I ask you to handle the handover?

Instead of having them complete a new handover document, try to reach an agreement on what will actually allow the person taking over to find work. If you have existing schedules and shared folders, use those materials as a basis. Near deadline, takeover person, current data location Align the roles. Divide the responsibilities so that HR guides the leave schedule and application procedures, while the team leader determines the work schedule with the substitute.

The manager determines the schedule to coordinate with the substitute and asks the employee, to the extent possible, about aspects that are difficult to verify using only existing materials. Try narrowing down your requests, such as, "I will have [Name] take over this task. Could you please let me know which file in the shared folder you are currently working on?" rather than asking, "Who should take over next week's deadline?" Avoid making requests that leave the entire workload—including staffing and customer guidance—on the employee.

If an employee states that they are unable to communicate at the moment, leave unconfirmed items aside and prioritize tasks that can be handled using the materials the team has secured. You must also inform customers and collaborating departments who will handle inquiries after the handover. Establishing an alternative point of contact helps reduce the frequency of messages asking the employee on leave to "just take a quick look at this." When explaining the work gap, provide only the new person in charge and the schedule, and do not include the individual's diagnosis.

📱 To keep greetings and work requests separate while on leave

You do not need to choose between “I will not contact you at all during your break” and “Please let me know your status every week.” Keep a channel open for receiving document guidance, but discuss separately whether they want to hear about your well-being and how far work-related communication should go. What you need to decide before deciding how often to contact them is Who contacts whom, for what reason, and in what way no see.

HR can consolidate application results and submission deadlines via text message and assign work-related inquiries to a substitute staff member. Ask the employee, “I will arrange for you not to accept work-related questions while on leave. Would it be okay if I sent administrative information via text message?” If there are remaining work matters that absolutely require verification, discuss the channel and scope of inquiries in advance and coordinate to prevent multiple departments from contacting each other separately. This agreement should not be interpreted as a promise to respond to work-related matters throughout the entire recovery period.

Do not combine document requests and work-related questions at the end of a greeting message. If you send a message saying, “How are you doing these days? Please send the documents by next week and check the last report as well,” it becomes confusing to know exactly where to respond. For deadline-based notices, include the submission items, deadline, and contact information, and send greetings that do not require a reply in a separate message.

It is a good idea to coordinate the timing of your next contact with the employee. However, this is not a schedule for receiving regular reports on treatment progress. Ask, “When would be convenient for you to receive the next update?” and proceed according to the agreed-upon schedule. Avoid assuming that the condition has worsened based solely on routine delays in replies, or having both HR and the team leader make follow-up calls.

💬 How should we introduce EAP to an employee who is already undergoing treatment?

The first thing to check is the terms of use, not the persuasive wording. Confirm with the service provider whether employees on leave are eligible for the current EAP contract and whether they can apply without accessing their internal company account. You must also review the cost, frequency of support, counseling methods, and available appointment times. If you are promised that you can receive free support immediately without verifying these details, the employee may get stuck at the application stage.

If a service is available, ask if they would like to receive guidance rather than giving a lengthy explanation at once. Briefly provide a link and method for the employee to apply directly when they wish. If you receive a request for a representative to make a connection on their behalf, simply check what information to pass on to whom.

Do not introduce EAP as a substitute for treatment or a means to return to work sooner. Decisions regarding treatment plans and medication are matters to be discussed with medical professionals. It is sufficient to explain that counseling allows you to address the burdens you wish to discuss, such as guilt about taking time off work, the gaze of colleagues, changes in daily routine, and worries about returning to work. Do not make any promises that counseling will guarantee a return to work at a specific time.

To the response, “I don’t want to think about a consultation right now,” try concluding with, “Understood. If you need to later, you can check how to apply in this guide.” You do not need to find out the reason to persuade them or ask about their application status at every subsequent contact. Instead of recording the refusal of a consultation as a lack of cooperation, it is more in line with the purpose of support to simply record in the manager’s memo which usage method was explained and when.

When a staff member asks if an immediate reservation is possible, only convey the confirmed situation. If there is a waiting list, inform them of this fact and check with the service provider to see if alternative routes or schedule options are available. Rather than simply recommending, “There is a good system available, so please try it,” it is more helpful for actual use to inform them where to contact if they encounter difficulties during the application process.

🔐 How much should I tell the team leader?

Just because HR has received a medical certificate does not mean the team leader is required to know all its contents. Article 23 of the Personal Information Protection Act defines health-related information as sensitive information and stipulates processing requirements, such as separate consent or legal grounds. Please ensure that documents are received at the designated counter and take care not to share the diagnosis, treatment progress, or consultation details along with team work instructions.

If the team leader asks, “We need to know the status to adjust tasks,” try steering the conversation toward the details necessary for work distribution. Say something like, “For now, I will first determine the leave schedule, the substitute, and the scope of contact with the staff. There is no need to verify details regarding treatment or counseling sessions.” It is also advisable to explain to the staff who will receive the documents and what work matters will be communicated to the team.

Managers do not need to be long when speaking directly to employees. Convey promises you can keep, such as, “I will direct work inquiries to the substitute person,” or “HR will gather any necessary administrative communications.” Phrases like “Brace yourself and come back soon” or “The team is going through a tough time, so please think carefully” can sound like pressure, contrary to your intention to offer support.

The issues of replacement staffing and the team's workload are matters to be discussed in a separate meeting. If the manager finds it difficult to handle the situation, they may consult with HR or consider seeking advice from external experts. To utilize managerial consultation from an EAP provider, first verify whether it is included in the contract and how to apply. It is important to distinguish between receiving the details of an employee's counseling and seeking advice on how to respond as a manager.

🌱 When your return to work is approaching, ask what to say instead of “Are you ready?”

If you only reconfirm the date during the contact before returning to work, the employee's concerns may not be apparent. Ask them, "What situation are you most worried about when you return?" Their worries may vary—whether they have to explain the reason for their leave at the first team meeting, whether a backlog of work will pile up all at once, or who to turn to if difficulties arise again.

Do not turn this conversation into a test to determine the possibility of returning to work. Consult with medical professionals regarding medical assessments for treatment and return to work, and the person in charge should specify what the company needs to prepare for the concerns the employee mentioned. The following is an example conversation, not an actual case, and is not a separate form that needs to be completed.

Please do not simply send a consultation link out of concern over an unclear workload. Assigning tasks is the company's responsibility, and discussing the anxiety or relationship burdens felt during that process can be addressed through counseling. Instead of saying, "Please get counseling and come prepared," saying, "I will confirm the work assignment and let you know. Separately, if you would like a consultation to discuss your concerns, I will provide guidance," clarifies the role.

If the employee wishes, please check if they can request counseling before returning to work and inform them accordingly. While this can be used to manage nervousness before the first day or to organize what to say to colleagues, there is no need to make it a mandatory task requiring a specific number of sessions before starting work. For the overall return process, including scheduling and work adjustments, you can refer to the existing checklist at the bottom.

🚨 If you heard something that makes you worry about immediate safety

We do not treat every employee as being in a crisis situation simply because they have applied for leave due to depression. However, if an employee speaks of plans or actions to harm themselves, or if there are concerns regarding their immediate safety, you must respond differently from your usual routine check-ins or guidance on requesting counseling. In cases of urgent danger... Prioritize emergency calls such as 119 And, do not wait until a general consultation appointment is scheduled.

If help is needed due to suicidal thoughts, you can refer the individual to the 24-hour suicide prevention hotline 109. The Health and Welfare Counseling Center advises that assistance can be sought from other agencies in urgent cases. Rather than attempting to assess and resolve the risk alone, please seek help from emergency support systems and specialized agencies. EAP counseling does not replace emergency rescue or medical response.

✅ Before wrapping up today's announcement, what would you like to leave behind?

There is no need to ask the employee to fill out another checklist. Have the person in charge leave the next appointment on the existing work memo. This is not a statutory form or additional document to be submitted, but a memo designed to ensure the same guidance continues even if the person in charge changes.

• Application Guide: Which regulations will be applied and what documents will be required, what remains to be verified regarding attendance and payroll, and who will respond and when.
• Handover and Service Counter: Nearest schedule, substitute person in charge, location of existing materials, person to gather remaining questions
• Contact during leave of absence: Method and purpose agreed upon with staff, timing of next announcement, alternative channel for business inquiries
• Connect to consultation: Confirmed usage conditions and application process for employees on leave, and the date notified to the employee
• Application before reinstatement: Work-related concerns mentioned by the employee, details to be verified by the company, and the person in charge.

You do not need to fill this memo with details such as what the employee discussed during the consultation or how far the treatment has progressed. Information that helps reduce situations like, “I received instructions on the documents but don’t know who to ask,” or “I keep receiving work-related questions while I am on break,” is sufficient. Try to wrap things up by sending the instructions promised for today and providing the next point of contact.