A return to work plan

A return to work plan can help clarifying goals and abilities. It can also help to reduce any feelings of stress and guilt about returning to work and help clarity limitations and increase confidence to move forward. Ideally, a return to work plan should be developed in consultation with one’s employer and the treating doctor. The employer may have a trained return to work coordinator who can assist with the process.  The plan should be regularly reviewed and amended.

The plan should consider:

  • special requirements required at work
  • personal circumstances, which may impact on one’s capacity to perform certain duties at work
  • industrial issues in the workplace (union rules/influences, workplace culture)
  • impact on the workload of other employees
  • training requirements to perform a new role prior to returning to work

For an excellent summary on how to develop a work plan, as well as strategies to seek employment, see the Cancer Council New South Wales Job Seeking Booklet . A copy of a return to work plan adapted from the booklet can be seen below. To download this template as a pdf file please click here.

booklet-page