If you’ve been off work due to illness, you might feel anxious heading back into the office. Whether you’ve been off for just a day or two, or you’ve suffered an illness that has kept you away for weeks, months, or years—there are ways to prepare for your return. So, here’s our top tips on returning to work after an illness.
Check you’re ready
Although you might be eager to return to the office, especially if you work in fast-paced EA or PA jobs where you don’t want to miss much, you need to ensure you’re ready. Don’t go back until you’re fully recovered, or you could risk getting ill again, or even infecting your coworkers if you had a bug.
Get medical advice
If you were off with a more long-term illness, then get advice from your doctor before returning. Your GP will provide you with a ‘fit note’ that gives your employer detailed advice on your medical condition and the steps they can take to accommodate you. This might include a phased return, or reducing your hours to part time to ease yourself back in.
Help your employer help you
You may want to speak to your employer before returning so they can make suitable arrangements for your return. On your first day back in, you should have a return-to-work interview with your employer. In this meeting, you’ll discuss the best way to get back into working, so make sure you bring any relevant documents, such as your fit note. Be honest with your employer about what you can and can’t do.
Take it gently
Don’t put pressure on yourself to over-achieve during your first few days back at work, even if you're a top London PA with a heavy workload. You’ll probably spend the first few days going through paperwork and emails. Don’t race through them though—take things slowly and deal with the urgent ones first. It can be tiring to explain your absence to every colleague, so it can be helpful to send a group e-mail announcing your return to the team. However, there’s no need to provide personal information if you don’t want to. If you find yourself struggling with anything, speak to your manager.
Getting a new job
If you’re looking for a brand-new role after a long-term illness, you may need to refresh your CV. Add anything relevant you’ve done while away from work, such as volunteering. When submitting job applications, it’s best to address any gaps in your CV by explaining that you were ill. If you’re applying for jobs after an absence, our leading London recruitment agency can help you find temporary jobs to ease you back in, plus office support jobs, PA jobs, and more in the capital.
For more top tips, stay tuned to the Love Success Recruitment Agency blog or get in touch with the team today.
Love Success is a leading PA and secretarial recruitment agency in London.
Our recruiters can help you find secretarial jobs, office support jobs, and top PA jobs in London.
View our latest job opportunities here
PA Jobs l Executive Assistant Jobs l Office Support Jobs l Top PA Jobs
Secretarial Jobs l Marketing & PR Jobs l HR Jobs l Finance Jobs