Return to Work Guide: How to Manage Returning to Work Anxiety

What is return to work anxiety?

Many people feel worried or stressed when it comes to returning to work after an absence. Whether time off was a result of sickness absence, mental health leave, maternity or paternity leave, or a scheduled holiday, the prospect of getting back into the 9-5 routine can be daunting.

For some people, returning to work can cause prolonged feelings of anxiety. They might experience a range of emotional and physical symptoms, including:

• Excessive worrying about work
• Feeling easily overwhelmed
• Difficulties sleeping
• Dreading going back to the office
• Racing thoughts
• Being unable to concentrate
• Feeling more irritable than usual

Anxiety about returning to work can negatively impact the mental health and wellbeing of the impacted employee, as well as their work performance. Productivity, self-confidence, and interpersonal relationships with colleagues can all be affected.

Why do people get anxiety when returning to work?

There are many reasons why people experience back-to-work anxiety. For some people, it might be the change in routine that causes uncertainty and worry. For others, they may have lost confidence and feel like they won’t be able to cope with an increased workload or level of responsibility.

While everyone experiences back-to-work anxiety for different reasons, some common causes are:

• Fear of judgment from colleagues
• Concern about being unable to meet expectations
• Worries about socialising and interacting with colleagues again
• Difficulty adjusting back into a work routine
• Uncertainty about being able to balance work and home life
• A possible sense of embitterment or anxiety related to an unresolved work conflict

How can employees manage back-to-work anxiety?

If you are an employee experiencing return to work anxiety, there are steps you can take before and after stepping back into the office that can help make the transition easier and less stressful:

Before returning to work

Speak to a GP

If you are going back to work after a sickness absence or mental health leave, you should consider speaking to a GP. Your doctor can assess your ability to return to work and provide you with a fit note.

A fit note tells your employer their opinion on your ability to work and might also include any suggestions they have for changes your employer can make to accommodate your return.

Reach out to your colleagues

Staying in touch with your colleagues during your time off, or reaching out to them before you return, can help ease anxieties and feelings of uncertainty about returning to the office.

Speaking to colleagues that you trust and feel comfortable with by email, social media, or over the phone can help you ease back into the social side of working and reduce feelings of isolation.

Ask to be updated on news from your workplace

After long periods of absence, uncertainty about what might have changed can cause feelings of anxiety. Asking for updates on any news or organisational changes can help minimise these feelings.

You can request updates from your employer about any new systems they have implemented, staffing changes, or policy revisions before your return. If your organisation has a newsletter, you could also sign up to receive these. Written updates can be particularly helpful in reducing anxieties.

Plan an informal visit to your workplace

Planning to visit your workplace informally before officially returning to work can help rebuild familiarity and reacquaint yourself with any colleagues you haven’t seen or spoken to in a while.

Meeting with your manager or other team members in a low-pressure environment and getting a feel for the workplace again can help reduce the anticipatory anxiety you might have for returning.

Ask to return to work gradually

Some individuals benefit from a phased return to work, which might mean you work part-time or reduced hours to begin with before moving towards full-time employment.

Returning to work gradually can reduce feelings of overwhelm and help you ease into a new working routine.

Get back into a work-week routine

Gradually adjusting your sleep schedule and daily routine to align with a typical working week can help make the transition back to work easier.

It might also reduce anxiety to practice your work commute ahead of starting back at work, as well as preparing work-week meals and organising childcare in advance of your first day.

After returning to work

Arrange for regular meetings with your manager

Once you are back at work, you might find it helpful to schedule regular catch-ups with your manager to discuss how you are getting on and if there is anything you need extra support with.

Establishing a line of open communication with your manager can make it easier to discuss any concerns you have about your workload, wellbeing, and performance.

Create a schedule for your first few weeks back

Planning what your first few weeks will look like will help you know what to expect. You can collaborate with your manager to create a schedule outlining what tasks you will be doing, as well as when and where you will be doing them.

Setting manageable goals with your manager can also help you better understand what is expected of you on return to the office.

Utilise the available support offered by your employer

Many employers have mental health and wellbeing initiatives to support their employees with their mental health. Your employer may provide free access to therapy, employee assistance programmes, and more.

If you are unsure about the provisions offered by your employer, you can contact your HR department to find out more about the internal support options available.

How can employers support employees returning to work after mental health absence?

As an employer, it is a requirement to look after the mental health and wellbeing of your staff. While there are actions that individual employees can take to manage their return to work themselves, you should also be committed to making their transition back to work as easy and stress-free as possible.

Understand the reasons behind the absence

To best support your employees, it is first important to fully understand the reasons behind their absence and the factors that might be causing anxiety about returning. This will allow you to identify the best ways to support the affected employee and adjust their work life to make the transition back to work easier.

Identifying the root cause of your employee’s stress and anxiety also means you can take steps to address it. Fixing the source of the issue can reduce the risk of future mental health absences and, in the longer term, it can help you make the workplace a happier and healthier environment.

Establish a return to work plan

A return to work plan helps establish what support needs to be implemented to help the affected employee feel confident about their transition back to work. An effective return to work plan should include:

• Realistic goals and timelines to help track progress
• Methods for regular, open communication between employer and employee to check in on how they are feeling and if they need any further support
• Adjustments to working conditions to make the transition easier, like increased breaks and flexible hours
• Wellbeing support that is available for the employee, should they need it

Working collaboratively with the affected employee is important as it ensures both parties are clear on the expectations that have been set.

Schedule a return to work meeting

Having a return to work meeting ensures that both parties agree that the impacted employee is ready to come back to work, they are up-to-date on any changes that have occurred during their absence, and understand the support that has been put in place to help with the transition.

Return to work meetings are usually informal chats with a manager and can also help establish boundaries, such as what the employee is happy to share with colleagues about their absence, and what they would like to keep confidential.

Arrange back-to-work training sessions

Some people may experience a drop in confidence when returning to work after a long absence. Scheduling back-to-work refresher training sessions or organising mentoring or shadowing opportunities can help build this confidence back up.

Offering mental health training to managers and other staff members can also be helpful, as this ensures you have members of the team equipped to deal with mental health-related issues if any arise during an employee’s return to work period.

Have weekly check-ins

As an employer, you should offer continued support for employees returning to work beyond the initial return to work meeting. Arranging regular check-ins with your employee is a good way of making them feel supported throughout the transitional period.

These meetings provide regular opportunities to monitor and discuss their workload, manage the gradual increase in responsibility as their workload starts to build up, and identify anything they might be finding challenging or need further support with.

Implement reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are the changes employers make to a workplace in order to remove barriers faced by individuals with disabilities or long-term physical or mental health conditions. Employers are legally required to make these adjustments.

Examples of reasonable adjustments you might implement in a workplace include:

• Making physical adjustments to the working environment
• Offering flexible working hours and the ability to work from home
• Providing extra training
• Reducing workload or responsibilities
• Offering additional breaks
• Providing assistive technology or accessibility equipment

Invest in workplace mental health support

Investing in workplace mental health support can help look after the mental health and wellbeing of your team, and make returning employees feel more comfortable returning to work after a long break. This can include offering therapy, counselling, and training.

Making sure employees feel happy, supported, and mentally healthy reduces the likelihood of mental health-related absences from occurring and also improves staff retention and productivity.

Ease return to work anxieties with Onebright’s expert support

At Onebright, we provide expert mental health services for employers, ranging from therapy, counselling, and specialist support to mental health training and wellbeing consultancy and auditing.

We work with over 200 UK businesses across a range of industries to improve their mental health provisions, reduce absenteeism, and create a supportive work environment.

Get in touch with our friendly team today for more information about how we can improve your wellbeing practices and support your employees.