Managing Employees Going Back to Work After an Injury

If you have ever been in the very unfortunate position of having an injury at work, then you know that there is a big challenge when it comes to returning and if you are managing employees in that position, it’s up to you to look after them.
It’s not just the rigmarole they have to go through to get back into the office and do all the paperwork, make sure that the insurance forms are filled out, etc. It’s what you do to bring them back into a place that harmed them, even if it wasn’t anybody’s specific fault. Whether they are in a manufacturing environment or they are in an environment with other people, they need to feel safe wherever they are.

There are millions of people around the world that deal with workplace injuries every single year, and the biggest question that most people face is when they can go back to work and how they can get through it. If you’ve been dealing with a law firm as part of their claim for compensation, then you will know that going back to work has to be done slowly, it has to be done with precision, and there is a checklist to follow. They don’t have to just start walking back into the office if they are not ready, and your management team should be looking after them to make sure that they are able to go back into the office in one piece. With this in mind, we’ve got some tips for you to think about should you have a team member experience an injury at work and need to go back to the office to resume.

• Help them get the right medical advice. A thing that you would be surprised to learn that few people do listen to advice. They hear the advice of their doctor not to go back to work, but partly because they need the money and partly because they are itching to get some sort of normality back, they push themselves and go back to work earlier. The problem with doing this is that ignoring medical advice is going to be at their detriment. Yes, it can be very difficult to stay at home, and it can be very difficult to earn less money while they could further injure themselves and put themselves back to square one.
• Speak to your management team about accommodating the employee’s return. Every workplace HR team should have a back to work process in place for people to use. Even if they can return right away, you should have some accommodations in place so that an injury doesn’t happen again. Speaking to your HR team, you can help your employee to  explore their options and get the recommendations made from their doctor so that they can be accommodated properly. For example, if the injury was a result of improper equipment or a lack of equipment, having your workplace put these things in place for them before they return can make a difference to their health and future.
• Stay connected with your employee. While your employee is off work and recovering, no matter how long that’s for, you need to keep in touch with them. Of course, your employee cannot deep dive into their health and start answering questions that pertain to their medical care unless dictated by a lawyer. They don’t have to keep you updated on their condition, but if you have a good relationship with them and they are required to give periodic updates about when they will be returning, it’s a smart idea just to keep in touch.
• Offer a return to work programme. If they are ready to go back to work and their doctor has signed off on their health, then you need to find out whether or not there is an effective return to work programme in place and offer it. A return to work programme can also prevent costly fees for you as an employer and can make sure that they are going back to work safely.

Don’t feel alarmed if it takes them time to settle back into work after they have been injured. Their body, mind and emotional state all need to be completely back to normal before they can function in the workplace and if they are having trouble, or they have been let go from the job as a result, then speaking to the best legal mind can help you all to resolve a case for compensation.