Returning to work aids recovery. The longer someone is sick at home, the harder it is to restart. This is particularly true for people who have taken time off due to burnout, where the illness is often (partly) caused by the work. But it also applies to people who have been long-term unfit for work due to other illnesses. For them too, the step to ‘returning to work’ can feel significant. In the initial phase of ‘being fully sick,’ the focus is on getting better. Then, returning to work becomes the next step in the recovery process.
As an employer, take an active role by initiating a dialogue.
After an analysis from both the employee and employer side, a dialogue will help gain insight into each other's needs. Then, create a (temporary) job and recovery-promoting plan. This not only further supports recovery but is also valuable for the organisation.
It is useful to keep the following recovery-promoting work factors in mind:
By aligning these factors in dialogue with a returning employee, the benefits for both the employee and the employer are clear. Returning to work will further promote the employee’s recovery. The threshold for a restart becomes lower. It enables a faster return to work and increases the number of sustainable reintegrations at organisational level. It shows that you, as an employer, are committed to the wellbeing of your employees. And so on.
Would you like to facilitate the reintegration of your employees in a recovery-promoting way? Would you like to approach this in a well-founded and expert manner? Contact us for more information on our reintegration services.