Colleagues can provide support for people as they return to work. This might be informal support, such as them helping by carrying heavy equipment or by covering certain parts of the returning person’s job.
Formalised arrangements can also be implemented with colleagues taking over the elements of the task that the employee finds most demanding following surgery.
For example, a teacher having the PE classes they teach covered by their colleagues for six months or a midwife only carrying out the aspects of the delivery that they feel physically able to manage, with colleagues on hand to step in where necessary.