Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunities for remote work within many organizations have expanded. For employees on sick leave, this means that there are now possibilities to take the first steps of returning to work from home. This could potentially shorten the duration of full sick leave, but too little is known about the opportunities and risks of this approach.
Project goal
The development and testing/validation of a remote work guideline for return to work trajectories, in collaboration with (case) managers and occupational physicians, to fully capitalize on the opportunities of remote work for employees who are returning to work after sick leave, while avoiding potential risks
Project content
During the project, we aim to have absence supervisors (e.g., occupational physicians, support staff, case managers, supervisors) and employees on sick leave work with the guide (a practical decision-tree document). We will assess the effectiveness of the guide through weekly surveys as well as a longer (8 months) 3-wave survey study. Where possible, we would also like to speak with participants during the implementation of the guideline to discuss their experiences, as well as any comments or suggestions for improvement.
