Building a rewarding and satisfying career is something to which most people aspire, and yet life has a way of throwing unexpected obstacles in your path.
Even if you have planned ahead and set your ambitions high, suffering an injury can be one of the biggest issues you face.
Here is a look at why injuries can interfere with the trajectory of your career, and what you might do to overcome the various pitfalls.
Loss of earnings
First and foremost it is important to understand the financial fallout that is often inevitable after an injury, especially one which leaves you unable to work for a set period, or which disrupts your usual routine and involves other costs to cover.
The good news is that you may be able to make a claim for compensation to help you recoup some or all of the cash that you missed out on due to your injury. And when it comes to explaining lost wages to back up your claim, holding onto paychecks, tax returns and medical bills is important.
It is also worth thinking about the impact that injury can have on your earnings in the long term, since if you are MIA for a protracted period then you might get passed over for promotion, or miss out on a pay rise which would otherwise have been coming your way.
Of course it is also important to bear in mind that there are legal protections available for those individuals who are injured at work, in which case you may not miss out on your salary, so long as your employer is following the rules. Even so, it is best to be aware of your rights so that you can soften the financial blow of this scenario.
Subsequent physical limitations
If your injury is serious enough to prevent you fulfilling your professional duties, then clearly you will be entitled to a far bigger compensation claim than if the effects are only temporary and you are on track to make a full recovery.
It all depends on the line of work you are in and the nature of the injury itself; if you are physically impaired by injury and you cannot continue to work in an environment where manual labor is unavoidable, for example, this will impact your career prospects more than if you have an office job or you work remotely.
Emotional aftermath
The scars associated with injuries are not only physical, as your mental health will likely take a knock if the incident is serious enough, and the trauma you suffer at the time as well as the challenges that come in its wake could leave you in shock and even shake your confidence in yourself.
If you allow the invisible, emotional wounds to fester untreated then they could be a burden that drags you down and tempers your career prospects, without even necessarily being obvious to you or your colleagues. Conversely if you seek help with overcoming the psychological issues you face after an injury, then you will be better equipped to process the emotions and move forward with your head held high.
Perceptual concerns
Lastly, you might feel that your injury and any steps you take to deal with it alter the way you are perceived in the workplace, especially if your employer is at fault.
This should not dissuade you from making a claim for compensation or support, because as mentioned earlier there are legal protections for people who are injured or who suffer ill health, so check up on your options thoroughly and your career should be able to flourish once more.
