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Sick leave: Smooth the transition back to work
Returning to work after a sick leave doesn't have to be difficult. Follow these steps to ease your transition back to work.
By Mayo Clinic staffTime off from work to recover from an injury, surgery or chronic condition is known as sick leave or medical leave. Returning to work after a sick leave can be challenging. Still, knowing when you're ready to go back to work and how to prepare for some of the challenges ahead can help ease your transition — and even promote your recovery.
Are you ready to return to work?
You may think that you need to fully recover before returning to work from sick leave. But the earlier you resume daily activities, such as work, the quicker and more fully you're likely to recover. By getting you up and moving as well as facing routine challenges, work can be therapeutic for your mind and body. To determine if you're ready to return to work from sick leave:
- Consult your doctor. Everyone heals differently. Ask your doctor to recommend when it might be safe for you to return to work, either part time or full time.
- Consider the risks. If your impaired physical or mental condition could pose a threat to a co-worker or customer or could cause you to perform poorly at work, give yourself more time to recover.
- Review your workplace's sick leave policy. Find out how the terms apply to your situation.
If you start to feel worse instead of better after a few days back at work, you may be taking on too much too soon.
Talk to your boss and co-workers
While you're still on sick leave, take steps to set yourself up for a successful return to work.
- Talk to your boss. Clarify your job duties and schedule so that you'll know what's expected of you after your sick leave. Explain any restrictions on the type of work you can do. You might ask about flexible hours, telecommuting or working part time.
- Set a tentative return-to-work date. If you can, go back to work late in the week. That'll make your first week back to work a short one.
Keep in mind that while you may need to provide some information to your boss to explain your reason for taking sick leave, you don't need to share specific details about your medical condition with your co-workers. While you may feel comfortable talking about your broken arm, you may not want to discuss other health issues, such as mental illness.
If co-workers ask for more information about your health than you want to provide, you might manage any potential awkwardness by saying, "I haven't been feeling well, but I'm much better now — thanks for asking." If a co-worker continues asking questions, try saying, "I'm not really comfortable talking about it." You also might consider preparing a brief statement for your supervisor to share with co-workers such as, "Mary has been out on surgical leave. She'll be returning to work, but her doctor says she can't do any heavy lifting for now. She'd prefer that people not ask about the specifics of her surgery." Your doctor might have advice on what to say or how to explain restrictions on your work as well.
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