Whether you are starting a new job or you want to continue at your current workplace, it is important to understand and accommodate the hidden disabilities that you may experience after a brain injury. What may have been an enjoyable career can now be filled with new obstacles and challenges, affecting your mental health and productivity. But there are ways to work around this!
Making Necessary Adjustments
You are not obligated to disclose to your employer that you have just survived a brain injury. However, having a conversation about it with them can be beneficial to getting the adjustments you need in place at work. A good start is to request a staggering return to work, this allows you to get a feel of things with enough rest time. You’ll also gain a better understanding of the challenges you face and what you can request to adjust.
Speak with HR if possible, regarding your worker rights. It does not need to be confrontational, but knowing your rights allows you to have a better idea of how to work alongside your employers to the best of your ability. If your workplace is a small group without an HR department, you can speak to a solicitor or lawyer to get advice or discuss how best to move forward with your employer. If you need some legal advice or support, we highly recommend reaching out to Slater and Gordon Lawyers. They provide expert legal advice to those impacted by head injuries and their loved ones throughout the UK.
What are the Alternatives?
Some brain injury survivors may find themselves struggling or unable to do their current work, which can have a major effect on mental health. Feelings of frustration, anger, and failure are common when unable to do tasks with the same level of capability as before. However, there are always alternatives.
If adjustments in your workplace are not for you, reflect on your skills and interests. Perhaps you can pursue a new career that would be accommodating to your needs, with less of the stress and fatigue. This can become an exciting opportunity as you explore more about yourself and what you may want to do. Even volunteer work can allow you to readjust to a work environment without too much of the pressure of a paid job.
“Some people shared some real common themes with us and the impact of screentime was massive. And also, somebody mentioned about working in the office environment, people like actually typing on the keyboards and the noise from that. I really struggle with the small noises as opposed to big noises… Outside of the workplace, I could be sitting in a room with 5 people talking and that can be more horrendous than being in a busy crowd I suppose.” ~ Mark
Experiences
Common hidden disabilities can include fatigue or difficulty concentrating, which can affect a typical working day. Your brain may require rest when you never normally needed it before, or in difficult situations at work which can leave you feeling trapped by duty and earning a living. This may require accommodating ahead of time and finding ways around tasks that can affect your energy. Memory loss can also affect processing information and completing all tasks, in which case having notes or a system for that can be helpful.
Other issues can include sound and light sensitivity, clicking of keyboards, the whirring of an air conditioner, talking and walking work colleagues. Overstimulation can greatly impact your concentration and energy, leaving you struggling to focus on the task at hand. A common issue amongst the community was computer monitors, having to stare at it in a busy office all day. Identify the trigger and perhaps work to improve conditions such as lowering brightness and setting to a red tint or find a new role better suited for you.
“We had to make a lot of adjustments over the years in our own workplace. So, once we decided to run our own projects in-house and run everything in Future Toolbox the way we wanted to, we made the decision that when we would travel to workplaces, to schools and what have you, we’d stay over the night before, but [Jules] would deal with the driving. Which, in principle, was great but then I was okay, I was able to rest, but you weren’t.” ~ Mark
Taking the Time
Finding yourself in the workplace can take time, learning how you now process tasks and your ability to manage and complete them, while experimenting with adjustments alongside your employer. To help you on your journey, check out some of our free resources that will allow you to take back control of your hidden disabilities as well as our monthly webinars and Facebook community.