As an employer, it is crucial to recognize that a brain injury can lead to diverse effects across cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral domains.
It is essential to understand that these consequences can differ significantly from one individual to another and can vary based on the circumstances.
π§ Challenge: Brain injuries can range from mild to severe, resulting in varying impacts on an individual's functioning within their job role. For instance:
- Reduced initiative compared to their previous proactive approach.
- Need for clearly defined tasks instead of previous flexibility.
- Increased impatience contrasting with prior patience levels.
- Experience of persistent fatigue where physical complaints were rare before.
In general, it is important to acknowledge that individuals may not return to their pre-injury selves after a brain injury. While advice like "take sufficient time off for recovery" allows for focus on rehabilitation, full recovery is often not achieved.
This implies that employees may come back to work with adjusted workloads and capabilities.
π‘ Tip: Collaborate to determine the essential elements for a successful reintegration process.
π€ Together: Seek assistance from the occupational physician to identify suitable work options or explore opportunities within your organization.
πͺ Opportunities:
- Foster open communication to address successes and challenges.
- Engage in discussions with the employee and occupational physician to identify beneficial employment support measures for a mutually beneficial job arrangement.
- If there is a work disability, consider utilizing government support measures.
- Work collectively with the employee, occupational physician, and job mediator to find solutions if returning to the previous role or an adjusted position is not feasible due to the brain injury's effects.