Good workplace relations and support from supervisors/managers and co-workers can have a positive effect on the return to work for a worker with an injury.
Good relations boost RTW
Workplace relationships can aid the return-to-work process, or if not supportive and appropriately managed, can hinder it.
Supportive work conditions, including a warm welcome back and positive social support, significantly enhance work ability and return-to-work success. The injured worker’s relationship with their supervisor/manager is pivotal, as poor relations often lead to negative outcomes.
Returning an injured worker back to meaningful work needs more than just paperwork and procedures. It relies on positive attitudes, supportive workplace relationships, and the active collaboration between employers and workers.
Talk and listen
Feeling apprehensive about talking with your injured worker is common. Begin with simplicity, inquire about their well-being and demonstrate genuine care and concern.
Engage in active listening through thoughtful questions that convey your concern. This approach can significantly boost the worker’s motivation. Open-ended questions, such as “How are you feeling overall?” and “Are you receiving the necessary support?” are particularly effective.
If the worker is comfortable talking, let them guide the direction of the conversation as much as possible.
At times, workers may perceive their injury or illness as being doubted. Avoid initially dwelling on details of the injury or illness during initial contact.
It’s not just physical
An individual’s perception of their injury, pain severity, and prospects for recovery can significantly impact their rehabilitation progress. Hence, return-to-work programs should account for both the physical injury and the worker’s self-assessed health status.
Positive return to work outcomes are more likely when people understand the health benefits of work, and are empowered to take responsibility for their own situation.
How to do it
Safe Work Australia’s guide ‘Managing the relationship with an injured or ill worker during return to work: A guide for supervisors in small and medium businesses’ focuses on the relationship between the supervisor and the worker with an injury. It will help supervisors/managers support and stay in touch with their worker and make changes to the workplace and/or work duties to help workers return to work sooner. To read this guide, go to safeworkaustralia.gov.au and search for ‘managing the relationship’.
Providing meaningful work for your injured worker
In many instances, a worker with an injury may not be able to perform their normal duties, but will have the capacity to undertake other suitable duties. These may either be:
• Pre-injury work tasks that are somehow altered or restricted, or
• A completely new set of work tasks (perhaps even a different work area) compared to those performed before the injury.
Employers and managers are responsible for identifying and providing an injured worker with suitable duties. Employers should never thrust an injured worker into the first available set of suitable duties without careful consideration, as it may seriously affect their recovery.
Suitable duties that do not add value to a workplace or aren’t meaningful to the worker will usually lead to dissatisfied and unmotivated workers. They can also cause co-workers to become disgruntled due to the perception that the injured worker is either not pulling their weight or being counter-productive.
Workers should also demonstrate flexibility when undertaking alternative duties, especially in smaller workplaces where finding suitable tasks for injured employees can be difficult for employers. Understanding that these tasks may not be ideal, workers should recognise their temporary nature and acknowledge their role in facilitating a return to full fitness.
Suitable duties must be carefully considered by both the employer and the worker, to make sure they meet any restrictions specified by the nominated treating doctor, and are meaningful to both the worker and the workplace.
Fostering supportive workplace relationships and meaningful work tasks are essential for facilitating the return-to-work process for injured workers. Effective communication, understanding psychological aspects of injury, and collaboration between employers and workers are crucial for successful outcomes in rehabilitation.