Having support from an employer and work colleagues can help an employee with a brain injury return to work.
An employee may have difficulties relating with work colleagues after their brain injury. Cognitive and personality changes may alter how they interact with work colleagues. As a brain injury is often invisible, work colleagues may think the employee has recovered from their brain injury if they have returned to work.
Support and understanding from you and other work colleagues can help the employee return to work. The experience can be made more positive. It is common for an employee with brain injury to feel that they are a different person after their injury.
You may find it difficult to balance the needs of the employee with the interests of work colleagues and the business.
Strategies to support work colleagues
Before the employee returns to work, ask them if they want their work colleagues to be told about their brain injury. If so, the rehabilitation team can provide information and suggest strategies to work colleagues about what to expect when the employee returns to work.
Ask the employee if they would talk about the effects of their brain injury with their work colleagues. They might for example, talk about the changes they may need when they return to work. For example, needing to walk away from noisy environments to quiet areas during work breaks during the day.
Consider completing disability awareness training at your workplace. This training can build a more supportive workplace for any employee with a disability. Many government and non-government organisations offer disability awareness training. It is important that you consider the training that suits your business.