Introducing Recovery Conversations: Talk Early, Before It Becomes a BEM Case

Between “back again” and “off sick for six weeks” lies a lot of time in which nobody asks how things are going. A recovery conversation fills this gap: short, voluntary, focused on work. It does not replace BEM — but it makes many BEM cases less frequent and the remaining ones easier.

How do you introduce recovery conversations?

1. **Set the occasion:** For example after a longer absence or after several short ones. The rule applies equally to everyone and is set in advance. 2. **Clarify co-determination:** Fixed rules for return-to-work or recovery conversations are subject to the works council's co-determination (§ 87 Para. 1 No. 1 BetrVG, German law). Talk to the works council early; a works agreement is often part of it. 3. **Set the tone:** Welcome, don't interrogate. The conversation asks about work, not about the illness. 4. **Document briefly:** Date, whether it took place, agreed support. No diagnoses, no judgments. 5. **Hand over to BEM:** If someone reaches the six-week threshold, BEM follows with an invitation and consent — the recovery conversation is no substitute for it.

What distinguishes a recovery conversation from BEM?

Under German law, the employer must offer BEM from six weeks of incapacity for work, and it has a fixed procedure. The recovery conversation is voluntary, earlier and shorter. Confusing the two risks two things: a BEM that was only a chat, or a return-to-work conversation that feels like an interrogation. The guide Recovery Conversation or BEM? offers a comparison.

How it works in EasyBGM

Recovery conversations are included in every EasyBGM package. If absence data comes from the HR system, EasyBGM suggests the conversations itself; templates for invitation, conversation guide and short documentation are ready to use. If someone reaches the BEM threshold, EasyBGM points it out. For the first day after the return, the best practice “Welcome-Back Conversation After Illness” is a good fit.