Rehabilitation

Background

On occasions, in spite of our best efforts, some employees will have time off work due to work-related or other stress. Wherever possible, employees should be encouraged to stay at work, rather than take time off. However, if a period of absence is necessary, it is important to manage the return to work with the individual. Rehabilitating an individual into the workplace is sometimes called vocational rehabilitation.

In 2003, the Institute for Employment Studies produced an HSE-commissioned report on Best practice in rehabilitating employees following absence due to work-related stress.

The key findings from this work were that the following elements should be present when dealing with absence due to work-related stress:

written policies or guidelines
effective procedures for overseeing the rehabilitation process
trained line managers
early contact with the employee
early health assessment
having a rehabilitation plan agreed by all stakeholders, particularly the employee
providing flexible return-to-work options

Find out more…

More helpful advice can be found in the leaflet Work and health: changing how we think about common health problems.

HSE guidance

The HSE has developed tools and documentation to help with absence management and rehabilitation. These include:

Overview factsheet for sickness absence and return to work
Management Standards for work-related stress
Example stress policy from Health and Safety Executive.
Return-to-work steps
Managing sickness absence documents
Small business sickness absence advice
Managing sickness absence flowchart
Tax rules when purchasing occupational health support

More guidance

An absence management tool - designed by the CIPD, ACAS and HSE
The Return To Work Knowledge Base - a resource designed to assist people to overcome injury and get back to work
Managing attendance and employee turnover – advice from ACAS
A CIPD factsheet on rehabilitation, with lots of helpful tips
Rehabilitation and you - a guide to rehabilitation services in Scotland

BOHRF’s Systematic review of workplace interventions for people with common mental health problems advises that for people who have common mental health problems at work, the most effective approach is brief individual therapy (up to 8 weeks), especially CBT.

A Peninsula Medical School report Avoiding long-term incapacity for work: Developing an early intervention in primary care considers the evidence base for early intervention in sickness absence.

Concepts of rehabilitation for the management of common health problems is a paper commissioned by the Department of Work and Pensions, that attempts to develop an intellectual framework for policymaking, research and development.

Professional health associations

British Psychological Society

St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester, LE1 7DR

Tel: 0116 254 9568

www.bps.org.uk

British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine

c/o Royal College of Physicians,

1 St Andrews Place, London NW1 4LE

Tel: 01992 638865

Website: http://www.bsrm.co.uk/

e-mail: admin@bsrm.co.uk

Case Management Society UK

PO Box 2073, Reading RG4 7ZJ

Tel: 0118 948 2272

Website: http://www.cmsuk.org/

e-mail: info@cmsuk.org

College of Occupational Therapists

106-114 Borough High Street, Southwark,

London SE1 1LB

Tel: 0207 357 6480

Website: http://www.cot.co.uk/

Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association

PO Box 6873, Wellingborough, NN8 1ZP

Tel: 01933 227788

Wesbite: http://www.cohpa.co.uk/

e-mail: info@cohpa.co.uk

European Federation of Psychologists' Associations

Grasmarkt 105/18, BS-1000 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: +322 503 49 53

Website: www.efpa.be

Faculty of Occupational Medicine

6 St Andrew's Place, London NW1 4LB

Tel: 020 7317 5890

Website: http://www.facoccmed.ac.uk/

e-mail: fom@facoccmed.ac.uk

Institute of Occupational Medicine

Research Park North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP

Tel: 0870 8505131

Website: http://www.iom-world.org/

e-mail: info@iomhq.org.uk

Society of Occupational Medicine

6 St Andrew's Place, London NW1 4LB

Tel: 020 7486 2641

Website: http://www.som.org.uk/

e-mail: admin@som.org.uk

Financial help and advice

Under certain circumstances, employees may qualify for government funding for the adjustments required to enable them to work.

Directgov explains…
'If you feel that the type of work you do is affected by a disability or health condition that is likely to last for 12 months or more, ask the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre Plus office about Access to Work. They can put you in touch with your closest Access to Work Business Centre to check whether you're eligible for help.’ Jobcentre Plus has more…

HM Revenue and Customs has a range of advice, including a calculator for statutory sick pay.