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Worried about your employment, maternity, pension rights? Send your questions to The Times Higher advice panel.

I have been off work for two months with a stress-related illness. I got a permanent contract with the university only six months ago and I worry that my employer will try to dismiss me. My anxiety about this is delaying my recovery and my return to work. What should I do? Whom should I contact for support?

Nox-5 The advice from all the panellists is that you must tackle this head on. Worrying is understandable, but planning can reduce it.

* Our panellist from the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association says: "You really should tell your line manager and/or human resources department about your worries. You may be able to arrange a return-to-work plan, which should help because it affirms your future employment and gives you a timetable to work to."

Lack of communication can increase anxiety, he says. "The return-to-work plan will provide a communication channel between you and the university.

Depending on the root cause of your stress, you might also want to discuss with your line manager or HR department whether relevant temporary changes can be introduced on your return," he says.

* Our Natfhe panellist sets out a plan of action. "Seek support from the appropriate trade union representative. They could contact personnel on your behalf and broker supportive return-to-work arrangements."

Arrangements should include a number of measures: an interview to agree the framework for your return; an individual risk assessment of the factors (such as large workload) underlying your stress-related illness; the identification of measures that can be taken to control the risks to your health (such as redistributing duties to cut your workload); the use of a gradual return to work; additional administrative support, if appropriate; additional support measures such as off-site and home working for set periods; access to assistance such as confidential counselling and occupational health support; and regular reviews of your progress in the first few months back.

"On a personal level, you might want to use the Teacher Support Line for Lecturers (www. teachersupport.info), which provides counselling for union members experiencing stress," he says.

Stress levels are high across higher education and it is important that, as well as helping individuals off sick, the root causes within a department or institution are tackled. These may include excessive workloads, bullying and widespread low morale, which the union and management should address across the institution.

* Our panellist from the Association of University Teachers adds: "You first must ensure that you have details about your university's policy on sick pay, which should give an indication of what period of sick leave you may take before your employer would usually consider taking any action. The most generous, but not untypical, arrangements would be six months on sick leave on full pay and six months on half pay without a qualifying period of employment. However, there may be less favourable provisions than these."

He says that under normal circumstances, it is unlikely that an employer would take any action until you were approaching the point at which payment below the rate of full pay would become applicable. "You should, of course, continue to supply the employer with the necessary medical certificates. If the provisions still provide for a reasonable period of sick leave on full pay, you should take some comfort from the fact that your employer will not argue with taking that period to effect a full recovery. You may get help and advice on this question from your trade union, the personnel department or the occupational health service."

* "Many employers will have made confidential arrangements to give staff advice and you may wish to seek the support of colleagues whom you trust," says our panellist from Research Councils UK . "These colleagues will be invaluable as they will understand the situation that you face."

This advice panel includes the Association of University Teachers, Natfhe, the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association, Research Councils UK and Rachel Flecker, an academic who sits on Bristol University's contract research working party. Send questions to advicepanel@thes.co.uk