Back to work

It is obviously important that you welcome your colleague back after a period of illnes which may have been protracted. This means that he or she will have missed many shared events and experiences at the workplace.

You can help a colleague get back to work in various ways, e.g.   by

• telling them what has happened while they were away
• telling them that he or she is still appreciated and valued
• cautiously asking whether the colleague would like to tell you about their illness. Your colleague may need to share his or her thoughts with others, and it is often a relief when you ask openly about the illness
• making realistic demands concerning their work input. Even though your colleague is back at work, their work capacity will not necessarily be back to normal. Treating depression takes time, and it also takes time to regain the ability to do work

If your colleague comes under a lot of pressure soon after suffering from depression, their symptoms can quickly return.

It is important that everyone at the workplace remembers that after a while their colleague will get back to the same level that he or she was at before he/she was ill.