The idea of returning to work can be a daunting one for an injured or ill employee who had to deal with the same’s physical, psychological, and emotional repercussions. If you are the supervisor or manager of such an employee, you need to be there for them and offer them the empathy they deserve. You should also check up on them from time to time and ask them about their feelings. To help you in this regard, we have composed a list of the key questions every manager should ask from a return to work employee. 

• Do you feel supported by your colleagues as you return to work?

This question will help you know whether the person’s colleagues returning to work support them or stay away from them. If the latter is the case, you need to talk to those colleagues and make them understand that everyone is considered equal in your organization, and bias of any kind will not be tolerated. 

• Do you feel you have the tools to go to work safely?

The safety and comfort of a return to work employee should matter more. If an employee doesn’t feel safe, they might not want to work with your organization for long. It might also trigger painful memories and impact them psychologically. 

• Do you feel you have a say in how to do your work?

Every employee, be it a regular employee or an employee who is returning to work after a while, deserves a say in what they do and how they do it. If any of your subordinates are not getting that, you need to correct it as the manager or supervisor. You should ensure that every team member can share their opinion on the work-related matter without hesitation. 

• Do you get tired easily?

Employees who return to work often get physical and psychological clearance from a doctor. Still, they sometimes exceed their limits and do more work than recommended. If you think the employee is overdoing it, you should ask them if they feel tired or give them a mandatory 10-minute break.

• Do you want lighter-duty?

Many return to work employees prefer lighter duties or lighter workloads than what they did before the injury or illness. You should keep an eye on the workload such an employee has got and constantly ask if they will be able to meet the deadline without compromising the quality of their health. If not, you should assign the excess workload to someone else or take care of it yourself.

• Do you feel comfortable speaking about your situation?

It is also essential for a manager to hold one-on-one sessions with the return to work employees to frankly speak what’s on their mind and whether they are being treated fairly and equally. You can also ask for anonymous feedback from all employees to ensure they speak their minds without hesitation.

Need more tips on managing return to work employees? Keep reading this blog as we will share more tips in the future.

Need Help?

If you are an injured worker who was injured on the job or got sick, you can know that returning to work is still possible for you. The team of Laura M. Wilson & Associates Inc. can help you. We help you get a job you will love in an organization that will value you or we also help you to return to your previous job. We also offer constant support until you learn to thrive in your new job/role. 

We provide a wide array of services such as SJDB Service, RTWSP Service, Expert Witness, Vocational Evaluation, Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Services, and Transferable Skills Analysis. Our vocational rehabilitation counselors will decide which services are right for you and offer a solution that helps you return to work and retain your job. To know more about how we can help, you can book an appointment here or call us toll-free on (800) 531-5608.