Transition in. Move into "Common Manager Pitfalls to Avoid" by linking it to the previous slide. Give the group a one-sentence "why this matters" before walking through the points below. Talking points (walk through each in order): 1. Assuming "they're not ready" without engaging. The interactive process is a process, not an opinion — engage HR and document the conversation, not the assumption Facilitator tip: say this in your own words, then ask the group for a real example of "assuming "they're not ready" without engaging" from their own team before moving on. 2. Asking about medical details directly. Diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses don't belong in your hands — leave medical to HR and the certification process Facilitator tip: say this in your own words, then ask the group for a real example of "asking about medical details directly" from their own team before moving on. 3. Piling backlogged work on Day 1. The fastest way to lose a returning employee is making the return feel like punishment for having left Facilitator tip: say this in your own words, then ask the group for a real example of "piling backlogged work on day 1" from their own team before moving on. 4. Skipping reintroduction because "everyone knows". A 60-second team welcome is the difference between feeling re-included and feeling re-inserted Facilitator tip: say this in your own words, then ask the group for a real example of "skipping reintroduction because "everyone knows"" from their own team before moving on. 5. Treating accommodation requests as performance issues. An accommodation request is a legally protected dialogue, not pushback — misclassifying it is a top legal-claim trigger Facilitator tip: say this in your own words, then ask the group for a real example of "treating accommodation requests as performance issues" from their own team before moving on. 6. Forgetting the coworkers who covered. Acknowledge the teammates who absorbed the load — ignoring them creates the next leave you'll manage Facilitator tip: say this in your own words, then ask the group for a real example of "forgetting the coworkers who covered" from their own team before moving on. 7. Override the Default. Most pitfalls aren't malicious — they're defaults. The framework exists to override the default Facilitator tip: say this in your own words, then ask the group for a real example of "override the default" from their own team before moving on. Engage the room. Pose a quick scenario and ask the group how they would apply this principle. Timing & transition. Aim for roughly 6–7 minutes on this slide. When the points have landed, transition forward with a short bridge such as "Now that we've covered common manager pitfalls to avoid, let's look at what comes next."

Speaker Notes · Slide 1

Return to Work: Welcome Back