Rehabilitation
Here, you can find out about best practice
in rehabilitation and guidance on managing sickness absence.
Background
HSE guidance
More guidance
Professional bodies – contact
details
Financial help and
advice
Background
The type and severity of the disease will determine whether an
employee can remain in work. If the employee is fit to work, it’s
important that they have no further contact with the substance
that’s causing the problem until a proper assessment has been made.
If the employee has occupational asthma, the employer may have to
give them other tasks, at least on a temporary basis, until changes
in working practice or new controls are introduced. There may be
cases where an employee’s symptoms are so bad that they have to
take time off work to recover. If a period of absence is needed,
it’s important for the employer to work with the employee to manage
their return to work. As a last resort, the employer and/or
employee may have to consider if the employee needs to change their
job. You can get an overview of key considerations in the
rehabilitation process in Work
and health: changing how we think about common health problems.
Also, see the TUC’s approach to
rehabilitation.
HSE guidance
The HSE has a return-to-work
factsheet for health and safety professionals, and one
specifically for
managers.
The HSE also has tools and documents to help with absence
management and rehabilitation. These include:
More guidance
An absence
management tool - designed by the CIPD, ACAS and HSE
The Return To Work Knowledge Base -
a resource designed to assist people to overcome injury and get
back to work
Managing attendance and
employee turnover - advice from ACAS
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development factsheet on
rehabilitation, with lots of helpful tips
Rehabilitation
and you - a guide to rehabilitation services in Scotland
A Peninsula Medical School report Avoiding
long-term incapacity for work: Developing an early intervention in
primary care considers the evidence base for early intervention
in sickness absence.
Concepts of
rehabilitation for the management of common health problems is
a paper commissioned by the Department of Work and Pensions, that
attempts to develop an intellectual framework for policymaking,
research and development.
Professional bodies – contact details
British Society for Allergy &
Clinical Immunology
Case Management Society
UK
Commercial Occupational Health Providers
Association
Faculty of Occupational
Medicine
Institute of Occupational
Medicine
Society of Occupational
Medicine
Financial help and advice
Under certain circumstances, employees can qualify for
government funding for adjustments to their work environment that
would help them return to and remain in work.
Directgov
explains…
‘If you feel that the type of work you do is affected by a
disability or health condition that is likely to last for 12 months
or more, ask the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local
Jobcentre Plus office about Access to Work. They can put you in
touch with your closest Access to Work Business Centre to check
whether you’re eligible for help.’ Jobcentre Plus has
more…
HM Revenue and Customs has a range of advice, including a
calculator for statutory
sick pay.
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Stress | Musculoskeletal disorders | Skin disorders | Inhalation disorders