Helping people get back into work after a long time can be a challenge. It’s something that can only be achieved if everyone is working together to help the transition back to work as smooth as possible. If there was a medical reason for the absence, that support is even more essential. So, read on to find out about helping someone back into work.
Allow Flexibility
It’s a good idea to remain flexible when the person first arrives back at work. They won’t be ready to jump in at the deep end and carry on like nothing ever happened. You should be willing to give them some flexibility when they are first starting back. Obviously, this is something that you will have to discuss with the individual. It might be the case that they are only able to work for short periods of time, depending on what caused their absence. By listening to their concerns and being flexible with the working hours, everyone will be kept happy. Flexibility can help everyone in the office. Find out more about that by visiting http://www.inc.com.
Get External Assistance
You might not be able to dedicate the right amount of time and effort to helping someone back into work. When you’re busy and have the business to run, this is understandable. That’s why it might be necessary to get some kind of external help and assistance to make things easier for you. There are companies that offer assistance with things like health assessments. These can be useful when someone has had a health condition that stopped them from working. You can find out more about these services at http://www.healthassured.org/. It’s a job worth doing properly, so get the help you need.
Set Achievable Goals Together
Setting goals can be a good way of making sure that everyone is on the same page. These goals should be set collaboratively, and they should be set on an informal basis. It’s not about pushing the person to ensure they meet every goal. It’s just about focusing their mind and yours. This could be the thing that allows them to push forward and achieve what they want to. They’ll have something to focus on and aim for, and that can be a really positive thing. If the targets aren’t met, then they can be approached again and rethought. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing though. More goal-setting ideas can be found at http://managementhelp.org/e.
Don’t Expect Too Much
Many bosses expect too much when someone returns to work after time away. Even if the problem that caused the absence has now been fixed, readjusting to office life can be tricky. It takes some time to get back to normal and work in the same way that they used to. So, don’t be too demanding and don’t expect too much, too soon. You could make the transition back to work life even more difficult if you’re not willing to be understanding about the situation the person is in. For the best results, take things slowly and just do what you can to make the situation more manageable for everyone.