FREE Benefits of a Return to Work Program [ With Samples ]

There will always be a time when you really have to go on leave for quite some time. Maybe for a week, for two weeks, a month, or even more than a month. A lot of reasons can be said as to why some employees leave their company for a very long time but still have the face to come back. Well, they really didn’t quit in the first place and they even provided notice for their absence, including the reason for the absence and how long it will be.

Being able to return to work after a long time is a good thing and should not be considered as something bad. There are companies that allow it provided that the reason is valid and justifiable. Here, we will be providing you with useful information about returning to work after being on leave. These information include what a return to work program is and the benefits of a return to work program.

What Is a Return to Work Program?

Accidents happen wherever you are. Some are lucky to have avoided it and some just ran out of that luck. The most unexpected injury one might get is injury while at work. Who would have thought that just by reporting to work, especially in an office setting, you can get injured. Well, nobody also thinks that working can make you sick. The truth is, they do. Depending on the severity of the injury or sickness, the doctor may require or advise that the employee go on leave for a specific length of time in order to completely recover. A medical certificate is given as proof of the doctor’s advice.

If you have been away from work for a very long time, it is best that you undergo a return to work program as soon as you get back to work. A return to work program is provided by the company to assist in the recovery process of their injured workers. This program includes policies and procedures to help their injured employees to be able to get back to work.

Who Can Benefit from a Return to Work Program?

Why is a return to work program important? After getting injured, especially those who had serious injuries, most employees would feel hopeless and lose the will to go back to work. They think that there is no place for them in the workplace just because they are injured. It is actually important to go back to work. It does not only benefit the employee but it also has benefits for the employee’s manager or supervisor and the employer. Below are some of the benefits that the employee, the manager or supervisor, and the company can get from a return to work program.

Benefits for the Employee

• Working has its own health benefits and may help injured workers or employees to recover faster than expected.
• Being back to work with other employees can help the injured employee have a positive and happy disposition instead of staying at home away from work for a very long time and doing nothing. They will just end up complaining and lamenting about their health condition. They will only be thinking about how awful and useless they are.
• It keeps injured employees away from depression and suicidal ideation. Aside from physical injury, employees or workers who have been away from work for a long time tend to develop mental illness. They just tend to build negative thoughts about not being able to get back to work.
• What more exciting benefit than having financial benefits. If an injured employee or worker returns to work then they will be paid in full by their employer.
• If injured employees or workers return to work, they can avoid using their sick leaves and other leaves because of the injury. They can use it for other stuff or other emergency situations.
• Returning to work can help injured employees or workers maintain their morale and be confident about themselves.

 

Benefits for the Manager or Supervisor

• The return to work program benefits managers or supervisors because they get to keep their experienced workers for a long period of time. It is better than starting all over again with a new employee or worker.
• It reduces the manager’s or supervisor’s tasks because instead of training new employees or workers, they get to keep the tenured and experienced ones. They can focus on helping them recover, which is a lighter task than starting from scratch.
• If an injured employee or worker returns to work, it reduces the possibility of fraud and them abusing their leave benefits.

 

Benefits for the Employer

• As employees, we might not feel it that much and some might not know about it, but absenteeism can lead to loss or decrease in production, and in turn will cost the company a lot. The program reduces the costs that the employer has to cover because of low productivity.
• The program allows the employer to keep experienced employees or workers. It helps them save time and cost for finding new employees and the expenses needed for training.
• The faster the injured employee or worker recovers, the better it is for everyone. They can resume working at full speed with the job that they have temporarily left, which will inspire everyone to work and boost productivity.
• If employers let their employees off work for a long time. There is a big possibility that they may never return to work. This is not something that employers would want to happen, most especially if the said worker or employee is exceptionally hardworking and productive.
• The program keeps workers from claiming for compensation without doing anything.
• Supporting a return to work program for the employees goes to show that employers care for their employees or workers. They will know that they will not be left unaided by their employers.
• It helps establish a good and healthy communication between the employer and their workers. If an employee or worker returns to work, the employer can attend to their needs in a timely manner and provide assistance whenever it is necessary.

 

It is never easy to rise up after you have fallen down. But this doesn’t give you the right to lose hope and give up. Similarly, getting injured is just like falling down. If you don’t pick yourself up and go back to work, you will remain injured for the rest of your life. One of the most important benefits of a return to work program is perhaps giving the employee or worker hope that even if they are injured, they can still go back to work and earn a living.