New Zealand Law Society - While your employee is on leave
Whether your employee wants more or less contact with the office will depend on their situation. Keeping the option open to keep informed about developments at work may help them to feel included and also keep them up to date. For example, inviting your employee to key team meetings, training seminars and planning sessions may be beneficial for both you and your employee.
Discussing flexible work while your employee is on leave may help him or her to effectively plan for the best return. This can also demonstrate that you are open to reaching a flexible arrangement that will suit your employee’s needs once they return to work.
Depending on your employee’s preferences, it can be good to send him or her an email every so often asking how they are, or send any updates they might be interested in from the office. This may communicate to your employee that you are interested in their time away and look forward to having them back.