Do I Want To Return to My Previous Employer, A New Employer Or Do Something On My Own?

When returning to work after an absence, how to determine if you want to return to your previous employer or to do something else DONE

When thinking about what you want to do for work, ask yourself the following questions.

What do I want to do?

  • Your point-of-view and goals may have shifted since your diagnosis, treatment and disability.
  • Consider:
    • Why do you want to return to work? To pay bills? To do something meaningful? To do something that is new for you? To do something that is familiar to you?
    • Do you want to go back to the work you did or new work, possibly even a new career? If you want to change careers, vocational rehabilitation is available.
    • Do you want to work part-time or full-time?
    • Do you want to work in an office or from home?
    • Do you want temporary work, permanent work, or self-employment?
    • Do you want to work a full day, mornings, or afternoons?
    • Do you need to develop new skills or new or additional credentials?
  • For more information on thinking about what you want to do, see

Do I want to work for an employer or for myself?

This may be the time to consider becoming self employed. If the idea appeals to you, read our articles on Self Employment and Starting A Home Based Business.''

If for an employer, do I want to return to my former employer or to a new one?

The easiest transition for a return to work after time off for a health condition is usually to return to the same employer or to the way you have been working if you've been self employed. You may even feel you have no choice because you're afraid a new employer won't hire you because of your health condition.

The one thing to not concern yourself with at this point is whether a new employer will hire you in spite of your health history. As you will see in our article in Seeking A New Job, your health history (as compared to your mental and physical condition) is no reason to prevent you from looking for a new job.

When thinking about returning to your former employer, if you had an advisor, speak with him or her. Your advisor can bring you to date about whether the work culture has changed, whether benefits have been increased, decreased or remained the same, and what you may expect as a returning employee.

Look at the pros and cons for each alternative. You may end up deciding that returning to your previous employer is best for you ''" but at least then you'll have made a reasoned decision.

Pull out a yellow pad and write them down. Keep returning to the list over a few days as new thoughts occur to you. Show your list to your closest family members and friends to see what they would add. If you need help, consider hiring a career counselor. Look in your local yellow pages under "Career and vocational counseling."

For example, pros and cons of returning to the employer for whom you worked may be:

  • On the plus side, you know the job, the employer, you know who your co-workers are likely to be, and you know the environment.
  • On the other hand, particularly if you have been away from work for an extended period of time consider:
    • Your employer has likely filled the position that you vacated.
    • The people with whom you would work may have changed.
    • Even the work procedures may have changed.
    • The employer is not obligated to offer you the same position you had unless you left work under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or union rules.
    • For more information, see FMLA.

If you decide to explore working for a new employer, see Seeking Employment for:

  • Information on how to go about a job search
  • Information about your legal protections, both during the interview and on the job.
  • How to handle interviews.

Also see Returning To Work For A New Employer -- Impact on Benefits.

Yes, you can change jobs. There is no more job lock thanks to the Americans With Disabilities Act and similar laws which prevent an employer from asking about your health condition and HIPAA which restrictions exclusions in health insurance for pre-existing health conditions.