I've been on sick leave for weeks due to stress

Advice from a job coach - I've been on sick leave for weeks due to stress - how can I restart my job?

Mental stress in the workplace has been on the rise for years. 90 percent of people who come to us for advice on occupational integration management (OIM) are unable to work due to mental stress - and not because of physical problems. There are an infinite number of triggers: a separation, a death, a heavy workload, but also difficult and draining conflicts in the private or professional environment. What is certain is that all these issues that we carry around with us every day have a major impact on our performance at work. We should pay close attention to this.

If those affected are on sick leave for longer than the regular, statutory six weeks, then most of them have already done a lot to receive adequate medical care and regain mental stability, for example through rehabilitation in a specialist clinic. Since 2004, companies have been obliged to make employees an offer of BEM after six weeks of incapacity for work - with or without an interruption. As an employee, you will first receive a letter and a reply form. My recommendation: Take this opportunity and fill out the form - it will help you in the further course and make things much easier in this challenging situation.

On request, initial contact will then be made with the person entitled to the BEM. In the next step, this person will discuss health-promoting measures to facilitate your return to work. The BEM can be used on a voluntary basis. A good relationship of trust between the employee and employer is a major factor in the success of a BEM procedure.

Help with returning to work

It is important that both sides of the situation should always be examined in the BEM: both the professional and the private side. This means that the person of trust who offers the BEM in the company should make benevolent enquiries as to whether, for example

medical rehabilitation is necessary or has already been initiated,
help is needed in finding a therapy place or
contact has already been made with the health insurance fund and pension insurance.

The following topics can be discussed in relation to the workplace:

Planning, implementation and follow-up of the return - e.g. step-by-step reintegration according to the Hamburg model
Adapting working conditions and reducing the workload (by reducing working hours, working from home, reducing tasks, flexible working hours, technical aids)
Involving rehabilitation providers or the specialist integration service if special services are needed again to provide support

Returning despite sick leave

If you return via the Hamburg model, you are automatically still on sick leave, but can go back to work following a medical recommendation. Managers and employees should be aware that those affected are far from being fully resilient at this stage - a great deal of understanding and sensitivity is required here. A temporary stabilization phase can then be helpful, allowing them to settle in calmly. A regular exchange with the manager supports the further recovery process and shows where the stress limit lies. At the same time, the measures also have a strong preventative character, as this is the best way to prevent new absences.

In conclusion, I would like to take up this idea of prevention once again. After all, long-term absences can often be reduced with good prevention and mindfulness. We should therefore listen carefully to our physical and mental signals.

My tips:

Mental stress announces itself early on: Talk to your manager in good time. Such discussions can be well prepared or even accompanied by a trusted person in the company or external experts.
Provide your manager with ideas that will help to improve your situation: I will put project X, Y and Z at the back of the list of priorities. I make sure I take regular breaks when I'm not at work. I enter deep work phases in the online calendar.
Take the symptoms seriously (I feel bad! My body is reacting!): Mental signs of overwork can include lack of sleep, irritability, sadness, anxiety, restlessness or depression. Physical symptoms often manifest themselves as chest pain, stomach pain, rapid pulse, back pain, nausea, malaise or dizziness. Important: These symptoms could also be due to psychological stress. Always have the symptoms checked out medically.
If this is not already offered in your company: Request a regular exchange about mental health with your manager. This can take place as part of annual appraisals, for example.
Change your habits: Make sure you get enough sleep, take breaks and eat a balanced diet.
Consciously take some time out: A relaxing yoga class, your favorite music while cooking, a walk in nature, a good book before bed.
Maintain your social contacts: Make appointments with friends and family, exchange ideas - this strengthens and connects.

Do you have a question about job & health? The experts at the Fürstenberg Institute will answer questions from readers in this section. Write to: [email protected]@fuerstenberg-institut.de

Read also:

After discussing the difficulties and potential triggers for mental stress in the workplace, such as a death or heavy workload, the job coach emphasizes the importance of a good relationship between the employee and employer during the BEM process, which can involve discussing methods to facilitate a smooth return to work, such as step-by-step reintegration, reducing workloads, and inviting rehabilitation providers if necessary. In the case of returning via the Hamburg model, both parties should be mindful of the fact that the employee may not yet be fully resilient, and a temporary stabilization phase might be necessary to support their recovery and prevent future absences.

Source: www.stern.de