Top 10 tips for OHS Professionals
Top 10 Tips
- Make sure you are familiar with the employee’s work environment.
- Ensure that the supervisor (and anyone else involved) understands their responsibilities relating to return to work and that everyone has the skills and knowledge to put their responsibilities into practice.
- Maintain an appropriate level of regular contact with the employee and discuss return to work as soon as possible.
- Avoid getting caught up in the issue of whether an illness is ‘real’ or not.
- Consider the approach to managing return to work that you would take if an employee had a physical illness, as many of the principles will be the same for a mental health problem.
- Agree with the employee exactly who else, if anyone, might need to know about their mental health problem, and what information they need to be provided with.
- With written consent from the employee, contact (or organise for contact with) the employee’s healthcare provider.
- Make sure to identify perceived barriers and prioritise solutions for a safe and early return to work.
- Develop a clear, written return-to-work plan and ensure the employee is actively involved in its development.
- Managing return to work after mental illness can take its toll. Make sure you are able to access support when you need it.