You are working on your recovery and gradually building up. But your employer wants it faster. More hours, more tasks, more presence. It feels as though your health is secondary to the schedule.
The company doctor advised a gradual return-to-work schedule. Perhaps you started with 2 hours per day, to be gradually increased. But your employer wants faster. After one week already 4 hours. After two weeks full-time. The schedule is ignored or unilaterally adjusted.
Or there is no clear schedule and your employer expects you to "just" participate. The message is clear: we need you, so come in. The fact that your symptoms increase from the high pace is dismissed.
A pace that is too fast can undermine your recovery. You may relapse, your symptoms can worsen, and the trust relationship with your employer can be damaged. This is one of the most common forms of stalled reintegration, and can lead to a conflict about the action plan.
The good news: you are not powerless. The company doctor determines the pace, not your employer. But you must take action.
Your employer misses your contribution. Colleagues work overtime, projects are delayed. The pressure to get you back faster is understandable, but must not come at the expense of your health. The organisation's interest does not outweigh medical advice.
Not every employer understands that recovery is not linear. Some think: if you can do 2 hours, you can do 4. That is not how it works, especially with mental health issues where overload quickly leads to relapse.
Long-term absence is expensive. The employer pays up to two years of continued salary. That financial pressure sometimes translates into pressure on you to recover faster. That is understandable but not permissible when medical advice is ignored.
The company doctor advises on your work capacity and the pace of return. Your employer may not unilaterally deviate. If the company doctor advises 2 hours per day, you do not have to work 4 — even if your employer wants you to.
The company doctor's schedule is a guideline. But it is the most authoritative guideline available. Deviation by the employer requires good reason and preferably consultation with the company doctor. Unilateral acceleration without medical substantiation is problematic.
If you relapse because your employer increased the pace against the company doctor's advice, this strengthens your position. Document the relapse and its cause. The UWV can take this into account when assessing reintegration efforts.
If it is not working, you may scale back to the pace the company doctor advised. Do not do this silently but in writing: inform your employer that you are following the company doctor's advice and that the current pace is too high.
Inform the company doctor that your employer is accelerating the pace. Ask the company doctor to confirm the advice in writing and adjust it if your symptoms have increased.
Send your employer an email stating that the current pace does not match the company doctor's advice. Refer to the schedule and confirm your willingness to work within that framework.
Record when and how the pace was increased, by whom, and without whose approval. Also note how your symptoms develop. This is crucial if the situation escalates.
Request an extra consultation with the company doctor if the pace has been accelerated. The company doctor can then reassess whether the return pace is responsible and record this.
If your employer ignores the company doctor's advice and pressures you, a UWV expert opinion can provide clarity on the appropriate pace.
If the pressure continues despite your objections, legal guidance can make the difference. A letter from an adviser makes clear that you are not accepting the situation.
"The company doctor advised 2 hours per day with an extra hour every two weeks. After one week my employer said I should go to 4 hours."
Your employer may not unilaterally accelerate the schedule. Refer in writing to the company doctor's advice and state that you are following that schedule. Also report it to the company doctor so it is recorded.
"Due to the high pace I had a relapse. Now I cannot even manage 2 hours. My employer says I am exaggerating."
A relapse from too-fast return is a serious signal. Report it immediately to the company doctor and have it recorded. Document that the relapse is connected to the acceleration. This strengthens your position if the employer later questions your reintegration efforts.
"My employer says if I don't go to the desired number of hours, they will stop my salary."
If you follow the company doctor's advice, your employer has a weak position for a salary stop. Object in writing and refer to the schedule. Consider an expert opinion if the threat becomes concrete. Also read about threatened salary stops.
"The company doctor has not set a clear schedule and my employer determines how much I should work."
Ask the company doctor for a concrete schedule with hours and evaluation moments. Without a schedule it is difficult to prove the pace is too high. With a schedule you can specifically refer to what was agreed. Insist on this at your next consultation.
A pace that is too fast undermines your recovery. It increases the chance of relapse and ultimately extends the absence. But your employer sees the empty chair and wants you back sooner.
MediRights assesses whether the pace is responsible and whether your employer respects the company doctor's advice. We analyse the schedule, the communication, and any relapse.
If the pace is too high, we help you communicate this in writing with proper substantiation. We ensure the company doctor is involved and that your position remains protected against potential sanctions.
Have the pace assessed for responsibility. Your recovery must not be secondary to your employer's schedule.
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