[Virginia in Canada]

I will be starting back to work next week.

Due to my ongoing cognitive problems, my duties have been divided into 5 levels of complexity. This is to allow me to learn ways to accommodate my deficits - I can not progress to the next level of duties until I can successfully complete the tasks in the current level.

Here is the plan:

Week 1 - 4 hours/day Monday, Wednesday, Friday - Level 1 duties
Week 2 - 4 hours/day Mon,Tues, Thurs, Fri - Level 1 duties
Week 3 - 4 hours/day Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - Level 2 duties
Week 4 - 6 hours/day Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - Level 2 duties
Week 5 - 6 hours/day Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - Level 3 duties
Week 6 - 8 hours/day Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - Level 3 duties
Week 7 - 8 hours/day Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - Level 4 duties
Week 8 - 8 hours/day 5 days - Level 4 duties
Week 9 - 8 hours/day 5 days - Level 5 duties

This progression can be slowed down or stopped at any time if my symptoms worsen.

Just wanted to share this in case something similar could be used for other return to work plans.

[Su seb]

Great plan
Su seb

[sospan]

Thanks for this - do you have examples to share of what task would be at each level?

[Virginia in Canada]

Hi Su Seb

I am a secretary in a hospital outpatient clinic so the jobs are related to this sort of work.

Level 1 - Photocopying, filing, faxing and sorting mail

Level 2 - Typing short (mostly standard) letters, ordering supplies, preparing work orders, pulling charts for the clinics, checking telephone messages

Level 3 - Typing longer letters, booking rooms and equipment, reviewing referrals for urgency and ensure adequate information is provided, booking new assessment appointments.

Level 4 - Interacting with patients (registrations, booking return appointments, arranging admissions for inpatient hospital care)

Level 5 - Attending meetings, data base and scheduling maintenance, compiling clinic statistics, typing dictations, answering telephones (since each situation is different and can require multiple steps and decisions).

Basically, each increase in level is a step up in number of steps to complete the task and potentially has more interruptions involved.

Hope this helps.

Virginia

[NormaW]

Sound Great, I really would like to hear how you are doing. I am still a few month off until I start work.

I am now trying to take a bus and go out, exercise and do vision therapy. In three months from now I am hoping to be able to drive!!!! One step at a time and eventually the world will be mine!!!

Cheers

[srgallan]

Good luck Virginia!

My second attempt to return to work which was much improved from my first was almost identical in progression work plan to yours. Make sure to get enough rest at night. While returning to work and it going well I felt that I could also keep up with my other activities as well and just added too much at once we suspect. Doing a bit too much and a few days of no sleep and going to work put me back off for a few months.

Stay the course and I am sure you will succeed. I have been back to work full time now for almost 6 months and resumed my full duties.

[MsRriO]

Thx for posting. Much better return to work plan than mine.

I start back on Monday after six weeks of rehab. (Physio)

Mine is all M-F over four weeks, in a 2/4/6/8 hour increase.

It's not well thought out.

[mouse1]

Looks good, but don't be afraid to stay at a certain level until you are ready to step up.

My plan changed and I stayed at a 3 day per week schedule for two months before stepping up to 4 days.

Its good that you can gradually increase your hours, it looks sensible.

[sospan]

And a lot of praise to an understanding and accommodating employer

[Virginia in Canada]

MsRrio

I was lucky.

I have been working with a rehabilitation coordinator paid for by my LTD provider since three weeks following my injury. Their role is to assist people to get back to work before the LTD cuts in at 20 weeks and to help with the LTD application if they are not ready to return at that time. It's been 8 months since my injury. This is a voluntary program, not a requirement for LTD.

Also, my GP insisted that there only be one change (hours worked/day, days worked/week or level of duties) each week. He has sent other PCS patients back to work before and had them fail due to returning to full time/full duties too fast.

Finally, I work in a specialty mental health clinic and my manager and co-workers are all very understanding of how devastating a brain injury can be. Therefore they are more willing to accomodate the slow return to work.

Virginia