Our client was referred to Employ-Ability as her mental health declining so much that she could no longer leave her house. It declined so much that she struggled to speak to people over the phone, which was one of the main ways of communication in her role. This led to her GP signing her off for a minimum of 8 weeks. The Employment Retention Specialist (ERS) she was allocated to worked with her to build her confidence over the phone, which took a just over 2 months. During this time our ERS was also keeping in regular contact with her employer.

With the support of our ERS, ensuring that our client was ready to, they began to create a phased return to work plan with her employer. The plan was made so it could be actioned on a fluid basis and be adapted reactively, according to our client’s needs at that moment.

In addition, they arranged for reasonable adjustments to be put in place, one of which was our client’s desk to be moved to the nearest exit/window and so that her back was up against the wall so there was no one behind her. The employer also provided noise cancelation headphones for her to use as she found the noise of the office to become overwhelming, making it impossible for her to concentrate. This resulted in our client feeling comfortable enough to return to work.

We can happily say that she has now been back at work for a few weeks and her employer has stated how well she is doing below: