Returning From Sick Leave

It happens. It could be as simple as colds, fever and flu and can be as complicated as a medical case that would even force you to go on a prolonged sick leave.

Image from Pexels

Whatever the reason of your sickness, whether you rested for 2 days or 2 months, let’s be thankful that it is over and you are now ready to go back to work!

Here are a few reminders as you go back to the office.

Fitness-to-Work Check

For your own benefit and for the good of everyone around you, go for a clearance check-up, where the doctor confirms that you are fit-to-work. This ensure that you are not/no longer contagious and not a health risk to be around. This allows you to focus on your health, too. If the doctor says rest some more, follow doctor’s orders.

Some sickness are too short to even go to a hospital for check-up, let alone to secure fitness-to-work. In such cases, presenting self to the clinic nurse or doctor or nearby clinic within first hour of shift, is the next best option.

Wear Masks

Viral infection, a sickness type that gets many office employees down is viral in nature. And as the name suggests, it is easily passed from one employee to another.

To keep this from spreading (or to protect yourself), continue to wear a mask until you’re 100% fit and healthy.

Thank Your Teammates

When you go on leave, usually (I know, I know not 100% of you would have a back-up), someone covers for you.

Remember to say ‘thank you’ as this is often a stretch for them, which allowed you to rest.

Heart with an “I am grateful” note. Image from Pexels.

Live Healthy – Lifestyle Change

Sometimes, sickness serves as a wake up call. I think it should always serve as a wake-up call for us to change the way we live – the way we eat, the way we move even our sleep patterns.

When we feel well, we revert to our old ways – snack on unhealthy chips, loose sleep and deliberately dehydrate ourselves – are some of the ways we cause harm to our bodies. Until you change these practices, the probability of another SL in the next weeks or in the next month is pretty high. Leaving you “unpretty”.

Appropriately Declare and Track Your Own SL Days

Finally, my dear fellow employees, please keep track of your own sick leave days. Remember to file, too. Though, in some Companies, it is the clinic nurse who is in charge of filing in the attendance/timekeeping systems. There is also an employee self-service site for most Companies that you could take advantage of. These actions will save you the additional steps of having to ask and waiting for a response.

There. May we always be healthy and happy at work! 🙂