Write down re-entry agreements
Before returning to work after a long period of absence, both sides - the employee and the supervisor - should clarify: What is needed for reintegration? Is there coaching to help you deal with stress better? Do regular appointments with occupational health professionals have to be made? Does it help to structure your work differently? These jointly agreed measures can be modified again and again.
Obtain regular feedback upon reintegration
Arrange regular meetings to see how the employee is doing after being reintegrated into the workplace and whether the agreed measures are still effective.
After illness: work assessment using a point scale
Statements like “It’s getting better / It’s gotten worse again” are not meaningful enough as feedback. In order to better assess how reintegration into the workplace is actually going and what challenges the employee is facing, it can make sense to query the status quo using a scale of 1 to 10. (10: My work is easy for me and I enjoy it; 1: I hardly know how to manage my work.) This allows us to assess the situation more objectively.
Arrange possible work support promptly
Relapses can always occur. If work performance deteriorates or the employee can no longer complete the tasks, support should be sought. Ideally, there is a plan B and C in order to be able to govern quickly and not to burden the rest of the team more than necessary.
Evaluate team mood after prolonged absences
When there is a particular focus on one person, the well-being of the entire group can sometimes take a back seat. Supervisors should therefore also regularly obtain a brief mood assessment from the team.