Back to Work After Disability

Recently I was hospitalized with Status Migrainous with post-discharge complications of steroid rebound and other medication reactions. I had been placed on temporary disability. For people with active jobs and a busy life, being off on medical leave is no picnic.

It is not restful sitting home "resting." It seems like much time and energy is spent thinking about everything that is left at the office still in need of completion. Are we dedicated and responsible workers? Are we workaholics? I thought I was in the first group but the reactions of the majority seem to place me in the latter. I am fretting about getting back to attend to responsibilities and everyone else is saying don't rush back.

No one seems to understand the implications of what will happen if the steps A,B, and C don't happen before the deadline of 7/21 before the product launch in 2 weeks - or maybe they do, and just don't feel the vested interest I do in seeing the project succeed. I take pride in my work...I love what I do...I am blessed with the skills I have and the achievements and accomplishments I have made.

So how do I put all of that aside and allow myself to really rest during this time of rehabilitation? Look at the situation at hand. When you get back you will have issues to address. Some will be more urgent than others. Organize those items so when you get into the office you can be as efficient as possible. Below is an outline of a plan I created for when I get back to my office. It is designed so I don't have to keep thinking about the load of work I have to do when I do get back into the office. Hopefully I will stop thinking so much about it and use the energy on resting and healing.

1. Voice Mail: Allow 1/2 - 3/4 hour for just answering voice mail messages. Make note of all messages but do not respond to any of them.


2. Email: Allow 1/2 - 3/4 hour for viewing email messages. Print out all messages that require a response and note briefly on the email itself what must be done to resolve the issue - pull chart, call Pete, schedule meeting, order books, etc.. If it takes but a minute to complete a simple task, you may rather do it then and there and resolve the issue this way. If you are like me, I block 1 to 1-1/2 hours on my calendar and use my time this way instead - saving the printing and noting for the more complex items that take more time to resolve.


3. Meetings: If you will be returning on a day when regularly scheduled meetings will be occurring, you may wish to review pertinent email threads and voice mails during the review period. Just do so by sorting your Outlook emails by subject matter and grouping threads. This is great for reviewing entire conversation threads and getting the gist of matters quickly. Pull aside key people and get filled in on the key elements of the project as necessary. If neither of these options are possible then attend the meetings. Your colleagues will probably already be aware of your absence anyway and will understand.


4. Projects - Prioritize: What were the major projects you were involved in when you suddenly fell ill or injured? What unexpected accommodations were made due to the events of your condition, i.e.: classes canceled, someone else taught them, etc.? What needs to be done now? Classes rescheduled? Documentation of classes noted, recorded, credit awarded, data entered?


5. Reorganize/Review: Once you have touched on all of the areas of your position and responsibilities, review them to be sure you are back on top of everything and you are reorganized and comfortable with your stand. This may/will take a little time but will be the point when you feel the most comfortable when you are back on the job and feeling better.

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