Return to work

Return to work

Joint efforts are required when an employee returns to work after an extended sick leave.

When are you ready?
A prolonged illness and absence can result in an employee feeling uncertain whether they can perform as before the illness and whether they are "well enough" to work. This doubt can create ambivalence around the return to work because the person is also looking forward to working again.

Be patient, lower your expectations and set small, achievable targets.

Relapse
Symptoms can flare up when you return to work.

Your body reacts to the change and this is perfectly natural.

It does not necessarily mean that you have started work too early, but that the transition between healthy and sick is not set in stone.

The symptoms should subside after a time, depending on the illness.

 

It takes time
Remember, it takes time for a long term ill person to return fully to work again, and that he or she cannot necessarily perform exactly the same tasks as before or at the same pace. With strong backup most people, however, succeed in regaining their usual work capacity and well-being.