About 28% of workers who return to their jobs after a long absence due to burnout, depression, or anxiety relapse within a year, new research reveals.
The study, conducted by wellbeing organisation Idewe and the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) analysed questionnaires from 148 employees across various economic sectors. These individuals had recently returned to work following extended leave due to mental health issues.
Participants were monitored every three months over the course of a year.
The findings showed that more than a quarter experienced a relapse within this timeframe, a trend consistent with prior studies and data from other European countries.
Idewe CEO Lode Godderis, a professor of occupational medicine, attributes the relapses to insufficient structural support. He explained that employees often fall back into old work patterns because there are no lasting arrangements after their return.
Godderis emphasised the importance of creating tailored agreements between returning employees, their employers, HR departments, and occupational physicians. While temporary adjustments are often made, these typically fade after only a few weeks, returning to “business as usual,” he noted.
According to Godderis, the division of tasks within teams should also be reconsidered. He suggests focusing on an employee’s capabilities rather than limitations, which could lead to more equitable task allocation.
Godderis also stressed the importance of viewing a worker’s return as an opportunity to redistribute responsibilities in line with individual skills and interests.
Such changes, he added, could benefit both the team and the returning employee.
