Taking a leave of absence from work can be tough. Coming back can be tougher

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Taking a leave of absence from work is relatively simple, once approved: Do the paperwork and prepare your co-workers and clients for your time away.

Unfortunately, coming back can be a lot more complicated, especially if the return to work isn’t properly managed.

Too often, there’s not enough communication between human resources and management about an employee’s return to work other than the date and some documents.

As a result, managers are often left scrambling to figure out how to bring back their employee in a way that’s best for them and the organization in the most seamless way possible.

No matter how supportive the employer is, a leave is disruptive to the workplace. Your duties may have been distributed to others or, depending on how long the leave, a temporary replacement may have been hired.

What’s causing more Canadians to take a work break

Taking a leave of absence is no longer just for new parents or workers with a serious physical illness. These days, employees are also taking approved time off work to care for loved ones or their own mental health, which can include burnout.

According to a 2025 report from Mental Health Research Canada, 39 per cent of Canadians experience burnout, up from 35 per cent in 2023.

Chances are workplaces are seeing an increase in leaves of absence from stress alone, as mental health has become the primary driver of long-term disability claims (52 per cent), according to the 2025 Canada Workforce Trends Report by Gallagher.

Certain provinces have increased their long-term disability weeks: Saskatchewan to 27 weeks from 12, Alberta to 27 weeks from 16 and British Columbia offers up to 27 weeks of unpaid medical leave for serious illness or injury.

All in all, people taking leaves of absence, and long ones, is here to stay.

Think of any workplace accommodation as a two-way street. Even though the law requires the employer to grant a leave when requirements are met, the employee may want to consider how they plan to resume their role.

Here are some tips for employees and employers for an orderly return to work:

For the employee

Before coming back, build a return-to-work strategy. Simply showing up and sitting back at your workstation as if nothing has changed is not going to cut it. Not only should you connect with HR to inform them what day and time you expect to return, but you should tell them how you hope your next few weeks or months may look. Think of it as revisiting the 30-day plan you may have had when you joined. Depending on how long you have been away, you may be starting fresh.

Begin to rebuild your relationship with your manager. Unless you shared the information with them directly, they may not know why you left or how to provide the right support. Remember, your manager has also divided your work among others or backfilled the role. Either way, being proactive in connecting with your manager is critical, and more so if you have a different boss than the one you left. Don’t wait for your manager to engage you.

Get back up to speed, quickly, on where things are at with your department. Extra effort will be needed to reintegrate yourself with your team. Don’t expect them to take the lead. Make the first move, working out ways to understand where business is at, what key elements you may have missed and what’s coming up. You need to work your way back, regardless of the circumstances.

For the employer

The employee has been cleared to return to work, so clear some time to meet early after they return. Check in with the employee and ask how they feel about returning. Let the employee lead the meeting but also hold them accountable to the plan to reintegrate back into the flow. Ask them questions about how you can support their success, keeping in mind that this is a team member who has missed quite a bit of activity.

Keep the team informed about the returning employee, including suggesting a transition plan on moving work back to the employee. The team should all help the returning employee catch up on what they may have missed during the absence. The team leader should keep a close eye on how the transition is progressing, in efforts to not overwhelm the returning employee, but still get them back into the role they left, including respecting any modifications.

Return on a high note

Regardless of how long or the reasons behind the leave, return on a high note. A leave of absence, no matter how common it is at your company, is disruptive for all involved, so take the initiative to be proactive and communicate with all those involved, especially your colleagues and manager. Assuming business as usual after you return is not only naive but also unrealistic.

Eileen Dooley is a talent and leadership development specialist, and a leadership coach, based in Calgary.