I figured I would throw this out to all you owner types. Keeping a long story short, about 9 months ago I was seriously injured in an accident. I thought the broken bone and an emergency surgery was the worst of it. I went back to work less than 72 hours after it happened - albeit not full time to begin with. I work in the engineering department, so it is sitting at a desk. I had received a blow to the head, so the I thought the massive headaches I was experiencing would abate quickly. It turns out I received a not initially diagnosed traumatic brain injury. I played high school football back in the late eighties and early nineties - when blows to the head made highlight reels, not penalty yards, so it was most likely my fifth or sixth concussion.

At the time of the injury I was the lead on a very large project that had a tight turn around time required for our shop drawings, so despite terrible headaches, vertigo and nausea I played through the pain, so to speak, for about three months until I got the job done. when it was done, I informed my employers of what my neurologist had told me almost a month before - that I was not to be in front of a screen for more than 4 hours a day three days a week. I was more than expecting they were going to let me go. Instead, they told me I was a valuable member of the team and would let me work whatever hours I could for as long as they could.

I have been back to work full time for about a month now, but I am by no means fully recovered. I have difficulty focusing and will sometimes lose my place. I used to be able to answer questions about jobs I had drawn months previously without having to reference the drawing. I could shift my focus across a half a dozen jobs in a day without a break in stride. Now if I get moved from one job to another it exhausts me and brings the mind-numbing headaches back hours earlier than normal (they are still a daily occurence, it is not a question of if but when). I make more silly errors than I used to - we have two levels of internal and two levels of external review after I am done with a job, so most are being caught.

So to the doing right by my employers part. I have been very proactive with my recovery, but the reality that I must face is the person I was pre-injury no longer exists and I must adapt to the my new reality. I am never late for work, I work hard every day, but my brain doesn't work as well as it used to. Physically my strength and endurance is almost on par with a kitten. I have heard no complaints about the volume or quality of work I have been producing, and yet I can't help but feel that I am not adequately repaying the faith, trust, and compassion that my employers have shown me. How would you feel if I worked for you?

P.S. Mr Gilbert, if you read this, my handle is not a knock against you - even when I disagree with something you post, I have always found your arguments cogent and thought provoking.

Was it a automobile accident?

No. I was clearing some woods in my back yard. I was felling a 40' maple that snagged in some wild grape vines I didn't see, it changed the direction of fall and it struck me in the head.

I thought expat meant someone from the US who now lived abroad it never occurred to me that it was a play on words

Sorry to hear about your injury.

As indicated by the dearth of activity on this forum this is a shrinking industry as far as employment goes. I'm guessing that it is harder to find skilled workers such as yourself.

Also the US basically has full employment making it even harder to find people

Nobody want's to cut somebody loose for any reason, with a few exceptions.

I would be surprised if they made any changes.

Close. I am someone from abroad now living in the U.S.

Anybody that misses time at our plant for medical reasons needs a doctors slip to return with limitations, if any.

And a very wise policy it is Alan. When I was a shop foreman back home I wouldn't allow an injured worker to return without medical clearance. My situation is somewhat more difficult, however. We have been dealing with cuts, burns, fractures, sprains and the like for so long that outcomes are highly predictable. Brain injuries are far less well understood, and many of them cannot even be detected with standard diagnostic imaging. It is almost a subjective diagnosis that relies on the patient's report of symptoms and third party observation. Here I go being long-winded again. Basically my neurologist has been saying if you think you can deal with it, I won't stop you. But my wife's neurologist (she was a nurse and was assaulted by a patient 2 years before my injury) not only hasn't cleared her to go back yet, he has told her she will never be able to be employed as a nurse again.

I would be reluctant to keep you in a position of decision making, probably moving you to a CAD position. I'm curious why you weren't placed on disability? Being injured and not being able to completely fulfill your previous work level is pretty much the definition of disability. Are you a USA citizen, paying social security? I don't feel you are doing yourself or your employer any favors. With you medical symptoms after the accident, you should never have returned to work.

You’re asking us to make a judgment call, we’ll here is mine. From your post you sounded like an all star pre injury and by your post you show honesty and also that you care about your employer. Those two things by themselves are extremely hard to find. If your 3/4’s of what you were pre injury or even 60% and you are willing to find work arounds- techniques, reminders and safety nets to help as much as possible- I’d say keep on trucking. I’d keep you on and probably no reduced salary. Good employees are extremely hard to find. You’re better now than you were 9 months ago and you’ll be better in 9 months than you are now. Keep showing that same amount of concern and you’ll be fine.

Family Man's position is where I found myself in reading your post. The only thing that jumped out at me was the part where you said you powered through the job and only told your employer what your doctors had said afterwards. That may set off some alarms for certain people and wouldn't have been my prefered option whether I were the employee or employer. Just as they are being honest with you it would likely be best to keep them completely informed of your situation.

I had an employee a long time ago who in our small local community was somewhat considered one of the village idiots. He was a super nice guy, showed up every day, worked extra, would come in nights, weekends, off time, just to be helpful and would argue not to be paid that he was just happy to hang around and be out of the house. People shorted him constantly but if there was a quiet patch in the day and he was caught up and would see I was busy he would disappear. When I would go looking for him I would find him in the shop somewhere or in one of the trailers and it would be spotless and organized to the best of his ability. If he didnt know what things were he would group things that looked similar into piles and wait for instruction as to where to better organize them not wanting to put them where no one would know where they were. Point being, he was never going to be lead man on a crew but he is one of my most sorely missed employees even compared to some of the best I have ever had.

It may be nice if your doctors or insurance allow some occupational therapy to help you build the workarounds Family Man mentions though Im sure you can work hard at them on your own.

I couldn't agree more that finding willing and competent staff today in this business, and likely any business, is a nightmare. Sadly most people in this situation would either through opportunistic choice, physical needs, or forced by the employer or doctor, simply given up and started the process of social security disability. And that system tends to punish any those who are only partially disabled and can work XX number of hours because the scale factors for reduction in benefits against hours worked can seem to push many people into simply opting not to work at all and drawing their check when the mental reward of working is far better than someone sitting at the house (for those who want to work).

I would think asking your employer for a periodic quick sit down if needed just to keep each other up to speed and if only to ease your mindset that they are continually appreciative (which is pretty much reflected in the fact that you havent been let go) may get you through.

While its no TBI as we all age we have to work hard at workarounds for not being as sharp, as strong, more mental burden, tired, and so on. Unfortunately you just have to work a bit harder than the rest. Good for you that your still willing to work. Its rare in my world at least.

Open and honest will get you fair and level treatment by your employer. Just like always, do your best. Your best will just be different from what it was.

I am 67 now, and my days in the shop are a bit different. The memory is not as sharp, my hands no longer have the grip strength they used to, and I get tired. I'll mention I had a major heart attack at age 49, but with fast, good care there was no damage. The drugs I take make it a battle to keep moving.

As I age further, I will be relegated to sanding, sweeping and whatever I can do effectively. I hope I can just stay ahead of that curve so the other people in my life do not have to have a little talk with me.

FWIW I have found this to be useful for dealing with one thing at a time and not forgetting stuff.

It has good reviews from people who have to be organized and organize

GTD