If you have found yourself in the situation of being unemployed long-term, then you know the stresses it can bring. One of the most difficult parts is that you are never quite sure whether or not you will be fit to return to work. The truth is, it is always something of a gamble. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make things a little easier on yourself. In fact, you absolutely can. In this post, we are going to look at the whole process of returning to work after long-term unemployment. We will include some essential tips and advice for helping you to get through this difficult patch. Ultimately, you should hope to discover how to know whether or not you are fit to return to work. During my pregnancy I was forced to take long-term sick leave and early maternity due to Hyperemesis Gravidarum and SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction). This caused me great anxiety but I followed the tips below to ensure my return to work was as simple as possible.
Speak To Your Employer
If you have an employer who you are hoping to return to, then you first need to speak with them. Employers vary hugely, so there is no way of knowing what they might say. You just need to make sure that you have an honest conversation with them. You should do this at your earliest convenience, so as to speed up the whole process a little. What’s more, it is a good idea to ask as many questions as you answer. Ultimately, you are hoping to discover what your employer might be able to offer you when you do return to work. It might be that they can make the day-to-day work easier on you somehow, for example. Or perhaps they can offer some kind of extended sick pay, if any problems re-occur. With this stuff, you don’t know until you ask, so this meeting is essential. Most employers offer a phased return to work where you initially do shorter shifts until you feel ready to work full shifts.
Speak With An Advisor
As well as the initial meeting with the employer, you should also find an opportunity to talk to an advisor. In some cases, your employer might have already lined this up for you. However, most of the time you will need to arrange it yourself. Either way, using an occupational health assesssment service is likely to help you work out where you stand. Above all, this meeting will tell you whether you are actually physically fit to return to work. It goes without saying that this is an important part of the whole process. As such, you should make sure that you are fully present and respond to their queries with honesty. What can also help any anxiety is to stay in contact with your colleagues, be it by text, calls or social media. That way when you eventually return to work you are not faced with everyone asking you the reasons for your leave and you can keep up to date with any changes at work.
Make A Detailed Plan
Once it is clear that you are able to return to work, you should start drawing up a plan. It might not seem as though you need a plan for this, but you would be surprised. As long as you have a detailed plan in place, you are much more likely to be able to carry through with it. As such, you will probably get a lot more done. It is important, however, that you fully stick to the plan. It is often all too easy to find yourself making a plan and then failing to stick to it. As long as you know what you are doing next, you should feel a lot better about what is going on.
*Collaborative Post
