After a workplace injury, you might need physical therapy and mental assistance. You might also need the help of a vocational counselor. All that is done to ensure that you feel better and return-to-work if possible. Sadly, there are some barriers that a person might have to face when they plan to return-to-work. Here we have identified 10 barriers to a successful return-to-work and shared tips on how to deal with them. 

• Entitlement of Benefits

Sometimes, a person might lose access to some benefits if they return to work, even if it’s a partial return to work. It can be a challenge because getting back those benefits is often not easy if the attempt to return to work fails. A simple solution in such a case is to talk to an expert on benefits and get advice on what’s best for you. 

• Change of Policies

Employers are often the ones that make things difficult for an employee who is returning to work. They make strict policies to ensure that an injured worker returning to work doesn’t get the opportunity to talk to their colleagues or form social ties. It can be quite disheartening. You can talk to the employer or consider legal action against them if things go too far. 

• Issues Pertaining to Collective Agreement

Sometimes, a few provisions of the collective agreement might make it difficult for you to return to work and get a different job or modified work. The provisions might include clauses regarding seniority provisions or callback after a layoff. 

• The Psychological Factors

When a disability is permanent or life-changing, it might impact your mental health and make things look worse than they are. It might lead to psychological problems like anger, depression, and even personality changes. In addition to those, you might also develop a deep-rooted fear of re-injury, and it might push you to avoid a return to work. Sometimes, you might feel that you are more safe or comfortable at home than at work. Sometimes, you might even lose your social connection to your workplace. All these issues can be worked upon with the help of a therapist or a psychological expert. 

• Location Issues

Sometimes, returning to work is impossible or very hard due to location constraints. If the company you were working for has an office in the remotest areas and you can’t commute there, it might be difficult for you to return to work as you can’t commute that much. In such a scenario, the only solution is to look for a job near you to which you can easily commute. 

• Type of Disability

The nature of your injury, illness, or disability also impacts the return to work plans. For instance, if you have an illness like multiple sclerosis, you might feel that you are fit to return to work one day but not fit enough the next day as your health status will change constantly. Similarly, sometimes, the temporary disability can turn into a permanent one. In such cases, you might not get a solution. You need to trust your doctor to do what’s best for you.

• Performance Issues

Sometimes, an injured or ill employee isn’t able to do the work they thought that they could. For instance, if you had a back injury and thought you could work for 5 hours but couldn’t do it due to pain, you might face performance issues. It might lower your confidence and might be enough to force your employer to let you go. In such situations, you should talk to your manager and ask for further modifications to your job to avoid performance issues. 

• Unfriendly Environment

People who want to return to work might not get the welcome they thought they deserved. For instance, your colleagues might be rude to you or make fun of you. It might break your confidence, and you might start thinking that returning to work wasn’t a great idea. A wise move in such a scenario would be to talk to your colleagues and explain your situation. If that doesn’t work, you can escalate the issue to your manager/supervisor. Just don’t sit there and get insulted!

• Lack of Adequate Skills

Many times, a person with a disability who cannot return to work to their previous organization might need to seek other employment. At that time, they might realize that they don’t possess the skills required for a new job. If you also feel the same, you should get a transferrable skills analysis assessment done and ensure that you know the skills you possess and which ones you need to develop. You can easily develop new skills via training or education. 

• Inadequate Knowledge on Return to Work Modifications

Often, an employer does not know return to work modifications needed for a disabled worker. In such a situation, you might not get the flexibility or equipment, or support you need, and it might break your confidence. A smart idea in such a scenario would be to talk to the employer about what you need. If they can’t provide it, you can look for other employment options. 

Need More Help?

If you have been in a workplace injury/accident and look to return to work, you can trust the vocational rehabilitation services in California offered by Laura M. Wilson & Associates Inc. We help you return-to-work with your previous employer when you are ready or can help you get a job you will love in an organization that will value you. We also offer constant support until you learn to thrive in your new job. 

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.