It is never too early to introduce vocational rehabilitation to the discussions with an absent employee. Early intervention helps the employee and the employer, and more broadly, it helps to mitigate income protection claims.
“Being In Work Is Good For People” and the vast majority of absent employees who go off work with sickness or injury are keen to return to work when they are fit and able to do so, and also when they can manage their return sustainably.
It doesn’t matter whether the absent employee is an individual policyholder and already in a claim, or if they are a member of a GIP policy and within the deferred period, the absence management intervention will always put the absent employee at the centre of the process.
Effective vocational management of the return to work process is crucial. This includes motivational interviewing, coaching and all appropriate support necessary to facilitate the return to work plan.
Of course, no two cases are the same and even two people with the same medical diagnosis may have different symptoms and may present with different functional and psychological reactions. It may be appropriate in more difficult cases to include workplace mediation and face to face, rather than telephonic support.
No employee wants to feel that they are going to be pressurised into returning to work when they are not ready. Our Consultants are friendly and empathetic and have years of experience with return to work assessments. We place great emphasis on negotiating skills and motivational interviewing techniques.
We will work with the employer, the employee and (if required) their treating practitioner to ensure that the proposed, future return to work is graduated and in the best interest of the affected employee, as well as taking into account the commercial needs of the employer.