Are you going back to work after having a long leave of absence due to an injury or illness? Use this guide to ease your re-entry into the workforce!
Injuries on the job or illness can cause employees to take an extended leave of absence. If you’re hurt on the job or become sick due to your job’s environment, then you’ve most likely sought out workers comp and visited a doctor. Depending on the severity of your injury or illness, your doctor might order you to stay home until your body is ready to return.
Going back to work when it’s time can be difficult. You’ve had a good amount of time away from your job and a normal work schedule. Getting back into your work routine might take some time.
To better prepare yourself for your return back to work, continue reading below. Here are a few tips to make returning back to work as easy as possible for you!
Create a New Routine
It’s easy to fall into bad habits and an irregular routine when you’re home from work for an extended period of time. You might start sleeping in later, staying up longer, and eating poorly throughout the day. To ensure a smooth transition back to work, start eliminating these habits one by one.
Give yourself a reason to wake up early each morning and then keep yourself busy during the day. You can then get to bed at a decent time each night if your body is tired from completing your daily activities. A routine similar to your old one will help get you back into it.
Prepare Mentally
There will be a lot to mentally prepare for before returning to work. You haven’t had to complete work tasks, interact with an employer and other employees, or other job-related activities in awhile.
Speak with your workers’ comp psychologist about different ways you can mentally prepare for your return. You can also consider taking training courses to freshen up your skill sets.
Don’t forget, you can always reach out to your co-workers to ask them about current trends in the industry, office, or workplace. This will help you stay on top of what you’ve missed.
Keep in Contact With Your Employer
It’s also a good idea to keep in contact with your employer. Inform your employer about your doctor’s notes and the medical process. Let your employer know when they can expect you to come back.
Staying in contact with your employer will better prepare you and them for your return. Depending on what your restrictions are, your employer might even find a job for you that’ll work well with those restrictions.
Go Back When You’re Cleared
The last thing to remember is that you don’t want to return to work until you’ve been cleared by your doctor. Even if you believe you feel well enough to go back to work early, don’t. Returning to work earlier than advised by your doctor could lead to reinjuring yourself.
Listen to all of the advice given to your doctor and return when you’re body is fully healed.
Make Going Back to Work a Breeze With These Tips!
These tips make going back to work easy! Keep them in mind to ensure a smooth transition process from at-home life to work life.
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A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.