Employees returning to the office after an extended absence, whether due to illness, parental leave or a period of depression, often feel anxious about facing colleagues and managers again. Career experts say that, much like starting a new job, a return to work benefits from careful preparation.
According to Johann Molinari, co-founder of Popwork, an all-in-one management platform, the first step to a successful return to the office is communicating with your manager and your team.
Reconnecting before the return
Molinari said employees should let their manager and colleagues know when they are coming back and share their availability. He also advised contacting the manager directly to arrange a face-to-face meeting, with the aim of finding out what has changed during the absence and whether there are specific projects or tasks that will need to be picked up immediately on return.
He also encouraged workers to reach out to colleagues they used to interact with regularly before their leave, saying this helps rebuild connections and softens the return to the workplace. He suggested contacting them by phone, video call or email to find out what happened while they were away.
Planning the return to the office
Once contact has been re-established, the next step is to plan the return itself. Molinari said that as soon as employees know their return date, they should start arranging meetings with a colleague to catch up on lost time, and that this colleague could also introduce them to new hires.
He also recommended finding out about any changes to team organisation or strategic initiatives within the company. Doing so, he said, gives returning employees a clear picture of the organisation and their team's priorities from their very first day back.
Jerome Duval, from the recruitment firm Kom&Do, offered similar advice for the period before stepping back through the company's doors. He recommended keeping up with developments in topics relevant to the employee's role, taking online courses and listening to podcasts for inspiration.
Getting back into a working rhythm
Resuming a normal pace of work, however, is often the trickiest part of the process, and experts say employees should not rush it. Duval suggested starting with less complex tasks and scheduling more frequent breaks to avoid fatigue.
He also encouraged employees who feel overwhelmed to lean on their colleagues for support, saying that the more people exchange with colleagues and others who share their daily routine, the faster they will regain their rhythm.
Both experts warned against taking on too much at once. Employees should avoid becoming overworked in their first days back and should instead prioritise their wellbeing, including eating healthy meals, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep.
Popwork, the company co-founded by Molinari, describes itself as a management tool aimed at helping managers and employees structure their working relationships, while Kom&Do is a recruitment consultancy that advises both employers and job seekers. Their advice reflects a broader recognition among workplace specialists that returning from extended leave, whether for health, family or mental health reasons, is a transition that deserves the same structured approach as joining a company for the first time.
Adjusting daily habits and pacing, the experts said, can make what is often a difficult return to the office considerably easier to manage.
