Mental health recovery at work

If yes, you can apply for leave. Usually, your supervisor, HR Client Services team and/or the HSW Rehab team will follow up with you to check in and discuss any return to work adjustments that are recommended.

Whether adjustments at work will help support your recovery can be a hard decision to make, and it's an important question to ask your treating team. They can speak to you about whether you are able to complete all aspects of your role or if it would be best for your recovery to have adjustments.

A reasonable adjustment is a change to your duties or role that would not impose an unjustifiable hardship or involve changing the inherent requirements of a job. To learn more about reasonable adjustments at UQ, read section 7 of the Disability Policy [1.70.08].

If you need workplace adjustments to help perform your role, you can speak with your supervisor or your HR Client Services team. When you are having conversations, you do not need to provide your supervisor with exact details of your mental health concerns (e.g. mental health diagnosis).

Usually, when a staff member is obtaining adjustments to their role due to a mental health concern, their supervisor will contact the local HR Client Services team or the HSW Rehab team.

The HR Client Services team or HSW Rehab team will be able to:

• ensure that your privacy is protected in the workplace, and
• engage with your treating team to confirm your condition and any recommended adjustments for you in the workplace.

Your work area will not be made aware of any of your personal information, but will be informed of the recommendations made by your treating team.

The aim of any return to work or reasonable adjustment plan is to support a staff member to reach the full capacity of their role. This process should be empowering to the staff member and a collaboration with the staff member, their supervisor and HR Client Services team member or HSW Rehab team.

If you would like more details on the return to work or reasonable adjustment process, you can contact the HSW Rehab team or your local HR Client Services team.

Everyone goes through difficult times. It may be that you are experiencing stress, or you have had a flare-up in a pre-existing mental health concern in recent times. You may not feel like a return to work process is necessary for your needs.

If you only need short-term changes (e.g. 1 day per week leave over a month period), this process can be considered between you and your supervisor. It is still recommended that you speak with your supervisor about how you are going and whether the changes have assisted you moving forward.

If these changes are not sufficient, you may consider speaking with your treating team about whether there would be benefit in a suitable duties plan overseen by the HSW Rehab team or HR Client Services team as described above.

No matter your concern it is important to know you are not alone. For further information you can refer to:

• Return to work is an Australian resource that provides information and advice for employees who are experiencing mental health concerns at work and guidance for supervisor and workplaces on how to support them.
• HSW Rehab team
• Employee Assistance Program
• UQ support services

This tip sheet (PDF, 136.4 KB) outlines the steps manager and supervisors can take to support a staff member with a mental health condition at work.