If you have an acquired brain injury or another health condition, your primary focus may be on survival and rehabilitation.
You and your loved ones are likely processing the experience together. You might not (yet) be considering returning to work or have numerous questions related to employment.
The questions and answers below offer practical resources to support you.
We categorise them into two sections:
👉 Click on a question and we will provide you with further information.
It is hard to say.
🚧 Challenges: there are several challenges to returning to work after an acquired brain injury (ABI).
In several scientific studies the rates for returning to work vary.
Reasons for this include:
Reference is often made to a Dutch study in which about 40% of people with an ABI returned to the workplace two years after their brain injury.
Whether or not you return to work depends on many factors such as:
💪 Opportunity: returning to work can be a rehabilitation goal.
several relevant parties can support you, including your employer , your friends and family , a job coach or the rehabilitation team .
🤝 Together: you can discuss this with your doctor and/or rehabilitation team .
Certainly.
💪Opportunity: the doctor and rehabilitation team
🫶Together: the rehabilitation team can inform you about (the impact of) your brain injury and work with you to find an appropriate professional to help you progress.
Certainly.
Your relatives (such as your partner, family, friends, or neighbours) play a significant role in your life and you have trust in them. They are often well-acquainted with your circumstances and firsthand experience what is effective and what isn't.
🤝Together: You can engage in discussions with them on adjusting your home environment upon your return to work.
🚧Challenge: Research indicates a heightened risk of early discontinuation when resuming work post-brain injury.
💪 Support: Your loved ones can play a crucial role in monitoring your well-being. They can respond to signs of excessive or insufficient workload:
The conversations you have with (occupational) doctors , your employer, your manager, etc. can raise questions and challenges.
This is normal because work is important to you and it is often unclear how such an interview will go.
Preparation also helps you to consider what you need for a successful return to work.
💡Tips & tricks that can help you prepare yourself beforehand:
💡Tips & tricks that can help you during the interview:
It is difficult to answer this definitively.
This is a personal choice and depends on
💪Opportunity: it is important to maintain good communication, especially if you want to return to your employer eventually.
🤝Together: further on in the rehabilitation process, you can inform the employer about the length of your absence and the suitability (or not) of the work, reintegration options and possibilities for additional support.
By keeping in touch, you can find out what your employer's attitude is towards your return to work. Your employer may also have many questions and be looking for support to enable you to return to work.
This is very personal and depends on many factors, such as:
There is a difference between considering (a return to) work and actually (returning to) work.
🤝Together: it is never too early to ask your doctor/rehabilitation team about returning to work. Together, you can discuss the pros and cons.
🚧Challenge: do not avoid this question, just ask it.
💪Opportunity: specifically, you can think about:
💡Tips & tricks: it is important to talk about 'work' early on in the rehabilitation process and get answers to any questions you are struggling with.
It is not an obligation.
You may not be thinking about work yet or may not see yourself returning to work after the brain injury.
Returning to work is very personal and depends on many factors, such as:
🫶Together: it is never too early to discuss the topic with your doctor/rehabilitation team . It is important to address 'work' early on in the rehabilitation process and get answers on any questions you are struggling with.
There is no one answer to this question.
The length of your disability and when you can return to work depends on many factors. Consider, for example:
🚧Challenge: to return to work, you need various skills including cognitive, social, communication and physical skills. These are often affected after a brain injury. Returning to work is a personal journey and requires time, energy and effort. There is no ready-made solution.
💪Opportunities
🤝Together
There are no Belgian figures on returning to work after brain injury. They often refer to a Dutch study, where four in 10 people with a brain injury (return) to work two years after the brain injury. Other studies give different percentages for return to work after brain injury.
🔀 There are several reasons for this:
🚧Challenge: Whether or not someone with a brain injury returns to work depends on many factors such as:
💪Opportunity: returning to work may mean for you that you are back to being a full part of society and feeling meaningful. Thus, work can be a part of your recovery provided your work is appropriate and matches your capabilities.
In Western society, personal identity is often closely related to work, and being able to work in the labour market provides a social role that is often fundamental to our personality. Work can give our life more meaning. When we meet someone, we often ask them about their job.
Scientific studies have shown that a return to work can potentially act as proof of being rehabilitated and having overcome the brain injury.
What work means to you is very personal.
Through work, for instance,
For many people, being able to work again means getting back to the life they had before the brain injury.
🚧Challenge: it is important that there is a balance between your work and your abilities.
💪Opportunity: part-time work or volunteering can be a great way to remain active and experience the positive effects of work.
💡Tips & tricks: understand that the concept of 'work' can be very broad, for example, from paid to unpaid work and from a few hours a week to a full-time job.
Just as there is no 'one brain injury', there is not 'one suitable job'.
Depending on the consequences of your brain injury, what you consider important in the workplace and would like to do, suitable work may look completely different for you than for someone else with a brain injury.
💪Opportunities: there are however some characteristics that indicate that work is or will be suitable for you :
🚧Challenge: look at
💪Opportunity: if everything is balanced, then the work is suitable for you.
No, this is a personal choice.
💪Opportunity: if you return to work after a brain injury, you can be open with your employer, your supervisor and/or your colleagues by informing them about (the impact of) your brain injury. However, this is not an obligation.
Explaining in an understandable language what (the impact of) your brain injury on the job is for you can help them to understand you better. This will give your employer, supervisor and/or colleagues a better idea of what has changed for you and what is difficult. You can inform them about:
🫶Together: sharing the invisible consequences of a brain injury (e.g. reduced long-term concentration, hypersensitivity to stimuli or fatigue) can help your employer to think about options:
• how can you still continue to work with your brain injury?
This depends on several factors, including
In vocational rehabilitation, the treatment team examines and compares your (work) capabilities and your task demands:
🤝Together: With your treatment team, your occupational physician and your nearest and dearest, you compare your own capabilities, your work demands and your work environment. You consider whether it is feasible to return to work, whether adjustments/support are needed, or whether you are looking for other work.
A brain injury can impact your functional abilities, including your capacity to drive.
Following a brain injury, driving a motor vehicle is prohibited for six months.
Evaluating your fitness to drive involves balancing your personal rights, desire for independent mobility, and overall road safety.
Following a brain injury, there is a risk of developing epilepsy.
Indeed, it is possible.
What constitutes an occupational disability?
An occupational disability refers to a mental, psychological, physical, or sensory condition that hinders the ability to secure or carry out work tasks. While a brain injury can qualify as an occupational disability, the VDAB is responsible for determining this designation. Depending on the extent of the brain injury and its effect on your job performance, seeking recognition of your work disability may be advisable.
What are the advantages of this acknowledgment?
💰Assistance: Upon recognition of your brain injury as an occupational disability, you become eligible for employment support initiatives.One prominent initiative is the Flemish Support Premium (VOP). This premium provides financial assistance towards your wage expenses, particularly if you work at a slower pace or require additional assistance.Furthermore, adjustments to your workplace or tools may also be facilitated.
How do I apply for such recognition?
Your treating doctor fills in a form for this, which you can find on the VDAB website. This contains questions such as 'what problems do you have performing work?', 'can you perform work in the normal economic circuit?', 'how is the disability measured?'.
With the answer to these questions, the employment support team of the VDAB assesses whether you need measures when returning to work.
You can.
A personal budget is a tailor-made budget that you receive from the Vlaams Agentschap voor Personen met een Handicap (VAPH) to pay for your support. You can use this budget for practical help and/or support with daily activities. Specifically, your carer can take you to work or support you at work to go to the toilet.
🤝Together: discuss this with your employer.
⚠️ Please note that this budget is not intended to be used for employment support measures.