Slowly back to work after a long illness

The return to work after a long illness is often associated with considerable difficulties for those affected. They should therefore not rush the re-entry and increase the working hours gradually, reports the German Society for Occupational Medicine and Environmental Medicine (DEGAU).

As a matter of principle, employees are entitled to a slow return to work after a long illness, according to DEGAU. For example, if employees were sick on sick leave for a long time due to cancer or stroke, they were entitled to a gradual reintegration. Those affected should use this possibility, but many are not aware that they have a claim to the gradual reintegration have, said the occupational physician Christoph Oberlinner of the German Society for Occupational Medicine and Environmental Medicine to the news agency "dpa". Especially for employees in smaller companies, this is often not clear.

Return to the job to discuss with the doctor
After a long illness, those affected often fear that they will not be able to cope with the burdens of a full working day. You should therefore discuss as early as possible with the company doctor, how the return to the workplace can be designed, reports DEGAU. The claim to a reduced working time often plays an essential role. For example, employees would initially return to work only for two or three hours a day. The hourly return is the rule, with those affected stay on sick leave during the time and their daily working hours gradually increased until they ideally reach full working capacity again. (Fp)

Picture credits: Bernd Kasper