When an employee has to stay away from work for an extended period due to a workplace injury or accident, or illness, the road to recovery isn’t always smooth and simple. So, the employee and the employer should consider different methods of return to work. One of the options could be returning to work in a phased manner. What is phased return to work, and how is it beneficial? Read on to know. 

What Is a Phased Return to Work?

As the name suggests, a phased return to work means that you return to work in a phased manner. You can take up a percentage of the work you used to do and put in fewer hours than usual. Then, once you are comfortable with the pace, you can increase the work responsibilities and the number of hours you put in. eventually, the goal is to return to your full potential. If that’s not possible, the goal could be to return to the maximum amount of work you can do. 

How a Phased Return to Work Benefits Employees?

When an employee has a disability due to a work accident, long-term illness, or health condition, an employee can’t be expected to continue as if they never left. Employees should be given the time to heal properly and recover 100% before being asked to do work like before. 

A phased return to work lets an employee work at their own pace and continue to recover. It also gives them financial independence and keeps their mind engaged at work to get over their accident and feel some sense of normalcy. 

Adjustments at work also allow an employee to feel comfortable and be more self-dependent rather than always asking for help from others. 

How a Phased Return to Work Benefits Employers?

A phased return to work is not just beneficial to an employee but also to an employer. First, the employer gets a valuable employee back, and it helps save the costs of hiring and training the replacement. 

A phased return to work is also better than an abrupt return to work because the employer can better understand what an employee needs to be comfortable at work (work modifications) and how much time the employee needs to complete a task. Also, there is less scope for taking a long absence due to overwork. 

Talk to the Experts

If you are also hoping to return to work and are considering a phased return to work, you should talk to the experts. You can trust the team of Laura M. Wilson & Associates Inc. We help you return to work with more confidence and only after you are fully recovered from the accident or injury. 

We provide a broad array of services such as SJDB Service, RTWSP Service, Expert Witness, Vocational Evaluation, Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Services, and Transferable Skills Analysis. These services will help make the return to work process easy and uncomplicated. 

Our vocational rehabilitation counselors will decide which services are right for you and offer a solution that helps you return to work in a phased manner if that’s the right choice for you. To book a one-on-one session with one of our experts, book an appointment here or call us toll-free at (800) 531-5608.

Reference 

https://www.safeopedia.com/2/4446/health-and-safety-programs/how-a-phased-return-to-work-is-beneficial-for-the-employee