Job Accommodations: Role of Worker

As an employee, you have an important part to play to ensure your return to work process is smooth and successful!

Throughout MyGuide: Concussion, you have learned about self-management strategies such as sleep hygiene, brain breaks, and pain management. These strategies can help you to function as best as possible when you are at work. Keep them in mind as you review the following slides.

While your employer has a Duty to Accommodate, they can only do so with the necessary documentation. You need to make sure your doctor understands your job and your symptoms thoroughly so they can make strong and effective recommendations for job accommodations. You are then responsible for providing a doctor’s note to your employer to make accommodations possible.

When it comes to returning to work or staying at work, communication is key! Often your employer and coworkers want to help, but they don’t know what you need unless you tell them. Concussion is an invisible injury and each person experiences it differently.

Try to connect regularly with your manager during your return to work. Perhaps you can schedule a brief weekly check-in to ask, “What is going well?”, “What still needs work?” and “What do I need.”

Not all job accommodations are formal. You may have the flexibility to make some changes yourself. For example, you can use good self-management strategies such as doing more challenging tasks when feeling most rested, writing down verbal information, and keeping a to-do list.

Review the Cognitive Function (Thinking Skills) section for ideas on strategies to simplify your job demands.