Abstract: When managing illness, we commonly shield our patients through sanctioned leave from work. Indeed, this is a cardinal element of the ‘sick role’, that status accorded to the unwell with the understanding that they, and by extension their treaters, will strive towards a return to normality. Formerly, a physical injury such as lower back strain was treated with extended periods of bed rest, yet it is now understood that that was deleterious, the resultant deconditioning being itself problematic. That condition is now treated with early reactivation. Medical practitioners appropriately adopt the role of advocate for their patient, defending an individual’s entitlement to a time away from the workplace. Unfortunately, this is not always accompanied by a focus upon encouraging the (sometimes unpalatable yet timely) disengagement from the safety of the sick role. Some doctors appear reticent to encourage a patient back to work, fearing deterioration or relapse. The longer one remains off work, the less likely an eventual return. There is a plethora of literature regarding the harmful impact on an individual and the family in the context of protracted absence from the workforce. There is now increasing literature pertaining to the myriad health benefits of good work, and even on the importance of harnessing these benefits as an integral element of a holistic treatment regime in mental illness. This talk will explore these issues and discuss initiatives to promote wellness in patients through therapeutic reintroduction to vocational function.