Dialogue meeting during sick leave: how to prepare

A dialogue meeting during sick leave concerns how you can return to work. Prepare which tasks you can do and what needs to change. You normally have to attend, but your employer cannot demand your diagnosis.

What is a dialogue meeting?

A dialogue meeting is a conversation about work opportunities and adjustments during sick leave. Your employer is responsible for the first meeting. Nav may follow up with later meetings.

Nav, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, explains dialogue meetings and attendance⁠. The rules here were checked on 4 October 2026. The aim is to find solutions suited to your health and work.

Dialogue meeting 1 should generally take place within seven weeks. If you are partly on sick leave, a meeting must be held when you, your employer or clinician believe it is needed. Exceptions are possible when a meeting is clearly unnecessary.

You do not need to wait for the meeting to report a problem. Your employer must follow up your sick leave. Ordinary payment and applications are explained in SamfunnPrep's guide to sick pay and sick notes.

What should you write down before the meeting?

Make a short list of tasks, limitations and possible measures. Describe your work specifically so others understand what help you need.

You can divide your notes into three parts:

• What I can do now: specific tasks that are possible.
• What is difficult now: for example lifting, pace, long shifts or frequent interruptions.
• What I want to clarify: changed tasks, aids or a different organisation.

Do not suggest a fixed degree of sick leave simply because the meeting is approaching. The sick leave assessment must be clarified with your clinician. Your notes should show needs and possibilities, not replace a medical assessment.

Bring the current follow-up plan if one exists. Read what has already been agreed. Mark measures that have been tried, those not tried and what happened. Then the meeting can focus on the next step.

Must you disclose your diagnosis?

No. You must explain how you function at work, but do not have to share your diagnosis or entire medical history. Your diagnosis should not be the subject of the dialogue meeting.

This distinction is clear in Nav's follow-up guidance⁠. You must also help find solutions. Keeping medical details private does not mean you can refuse every conversation about tasks.

A practical phrase is: “I would like to keep medical details private. I can explain what I can manage at work and the adjustments I need.” You can also ask your clinician how to describe your limitations simply.

If the meeting moves into questions about treatment or other private matters, bring the conversation back to work. Ask for the minutes to reflect functioning and agreed measures. Do not send your manager your entire medical record as preparation.

Who can attend?

A union representative, safety representative and the occupational health service can attend. The person certifying your sick leave may also attend according to the rules and arrangements for the meeting.

A tillitsvalgt, a union or employee representative, represents employees, often through a union. A verneombud, a safety representative, works on the working environment. The occupational health service helps the organisation with health and the working environment.

Nav states that a union or safety representative can attend if you want this. Arrange it in advance. The support person can help ask questions, understand proposals and remember agreements.

If you need language assistance, give notice early. Ask the meeting organiser to clarify how you can understand and participate. Do not assume a colleague who speaks your language is automatically suitable as an interpreter when private information may be discussed.

What if you are too ill to attend?

Give notice and request a specific assessment of the meeting format or need for an exemption. Do not leave the invitation unanswered.

The meeting may sometimes take place by telephone or video. Serious illness may make a meaningful meeting impossible. Nav's guidance allows exceptions when the meeting is clearly unnecessary.

You can write: “I have received the invitation. My health makes it difficult to attend in person. Can we clarify video, telephone or whether the meeting should be postponed? I want to help with the follow-up.”

This is a suggested message, not a guarantee of postponement. Clarify matters with your employer or Nav, and your clinician when needed. A short clarification is better than leaving others to guess why you did not attend.

What should the follow-up plan say?

The follow-up plan must describe work capacity, possible tasks and adjustments. Your employer must prepare it with you within four weeks unless it is clearly unnecessary.

Arbeidstilsynet, the agency supervising the working environment, explains duties when following up employees on sick leave⁠. The plan must also be sent to the person certifying your sick leave.

A useful plan clearly distinguishes a wish from an agreement:

The table is a preparation example, not an official template. Ask for the plan also to state what cannot be adjusted and why. This may matter for further follow-up.

How do you follow up after the meeting?

Read the minutes and plan, and report errors promptly. Check that proposals are not recorded as agreed measures if you did not agree.

Note who to contact if a measure does not work. Describe what happened in practice and request reassessment. You should not have to wait for the next major meeting to report a specific problem.

Nav considers the need for dialogue meeting 2 within 26 weeks of sick leave. It may be unnecessary, for example if you are soon returning or are documented as seriously ill. You can also request an earlier meeting with Nav.

SamfunnPrep explains safety representatives and the working environment. You can also explore tools for life in Norway when learning about more public services.