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Return to work assessment 

An employee does not always need to be fully recovered to return to work. In fact, providing reasonable precautions are taken, returning to work can be an important part of the recovery process.[1]

When an employee is nearly ready to return to work, talk to them and any appropriate health professionals about any reasonable accommodations they may need, considering:

  • The range of duties the employee can do and cannot do during recovery and beyond.
  • Factors specific to the employee, such as general state of health, age, access to support and treatment, adjustment to the situation, etc.[2]
  • Phased or partial return to work if that is medically advisable.
  • Reasonable accommodations the employee needs to return to work[1] and other factors specific to the workplace, such as levels of flexibility to accommodate changes, sick leave, return to work policies, etc.[2]
To assess if a person is fit to return to work the occupational health officer, doctor, or appropriate person will need a detailed job description including:

  • Job tasks and physical requirements of the job.
  • Hours of attendance.
  • Qualifications required for the job.
  • Type of work environment.[1]

Involving employees in any decisions about duties is critical to the success of return to work. While everyone's experience will be unique, you may want to use the following process to help identify suitable duties.[3]

  1. National Disability Authority, Retaining employees who acquire a disability: A guide for employers. National Disability Authority: Dublin, Ireland
  2. Mental Health Foundation, Return to Work: Returning to work after experiencing mental illness and other mental health issues. 2007, Mental Health Foundation Auckland.
  3. Return to Work | Helping Australian employees successfully return to work following depression, anxiety or a related mental health problem. 2014  [cited 2014 October]; Available from: http://returntowork.workplace-mentalhealth.net.au/.
C
 Conducting a work assessment
Help assess what tasks the employee is able to do and if any special requirements are needed to do their work.

This iconis located in the top right-hand corner of the page. Click the icon to read more about conducting a work assessment. Then answer the question below. 

 
     
  • An employee needs to be fully recovered before they can return to work.
    True
    False
Mental Health Foundation
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