Shannon*, a Client Manager for a Fortune 100 Technology Company, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three dogs. Her children, twins, had just enrolled in college and Shannon and her spouse were looking forward to enjoying their newly found freedom, but then Shannon was injured. Instead of traveling and bicycling, suddenly Shannon was facing surgery and recovery.
Shannon would need to rest at home before and after her procedure, limiting her mobility and ability to drive. Shannon focused on healing and rehabilitation through her prescribed physical therapy after her surgery. However, she had been out of work for several months and was starting to feel anxious about her job and returning to her “normal life.” Her doctor couldn’t release her to go back to work full duty while she was still healing but she could perform light duty in the meantime. Shannon knew healing was her first priority but felt if she could return to work in some small way, it would help combat her anxiety and stress.
Although Shannon’s company could not provide any work until she could drive again, they realized that getting her back to work quickly and safely would benefit her. They enrolled her in ReEmployAbility’s Transition2Work At-Home or Onsite Program to match her with an assignment at a local not-for-profit.
Through ReEmployAbility’s nationwide network of not-for-profit partners, an assignment was secured for Shannon with a national emergency services organization that needed workers with phone and internet access to match volunteers in their database to disasters happening across the country. From hurricanes, to wildfires, to earthquakes Shannon was able to provide valuable assistance from her home, safely following her medical restriction of rest and no driving. Her assignment kept Shannon connected to her company and also connected the community while she healed.
“The [Transition2Work] At-Home Program gave me a reason to get up in the morning,” said Shannon. “I was able to work from home knowing that every hour I was putting in was going to make a difference. I immediately stopped thinking of it as putting in eight hours a day to get paid. I did it with enthusiasm and passion and the desire to help. I was happy to be part of [a not-for-profit] that has been around for over a hundred years; an organization that is actively helping our country in a time of desperate need. I was able and ready to go to work [from home].”
Shannon completed her physical therapy and was released to her regular full-duty position with her employer after several months. She remains active with the not-for-profit she served and has taken a leadership position in her region to continue their valuable initiatives in her spare time.
Shannon’s success is just one story among the thousands of successful placements of injured employees each year who participate in Transition2Work. Many, like Shannon, return to their full duty positions after participating but still remain active with the not-for-profit where they were assigned.
