At first, the employee may not have as much physical or mental stamina as they had before going on leave. Here are some tips for successful return to work planning:1
- Spread tasks over time so the employee doesn’t return to an unmanageable amount of work and emails.
- Prioritize duties and try to break tasks into smaller steps.
- Adjust performance targets.
- Change work duties or reallocate them.
- Plan for occasional future absences, such as medical appointments, fatigue or feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
- Ask for advance notice if possible, so they can arrange to cover workload.
Pathways to Success for Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Guide for Educators, Counsellors and Families (PDF; pages 20–23)
To learn about resources, strategies and approaches that employers can use to accommodate employees with disabilities, listen to the webinar Best Practices in Accommodating Employees in the Workplace, presented by Employment and Social Development Canada in collaboration with Canadian Business SenseAbility. (Free WebEx software may be required.)
See also:
- Alternative work arrangements (flexible time, compressed work week, job sharing etc) – HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector
- Six reasons to offer a flexible work environment and the benefits of flexible working for employers from new research– Regus Canada
