Successful restart after an accident

A work accident with serious consequences

The line between sickness and health can be fine, a fact that Dzevat Cerkezi experienced first-hand. Until 2015, he was working in his chosen profession as a car mechanic. Then a fall at work changed everything: the accident led to severe pain in his upper body which often caused him to seek emergency treatment. But each time he was sent home, the last time with the assessment that the problem was probably psychological. The then 30-year-old gritted his teeth and continued to show up for work.

No improvement after diagnosis

It was only after more than a year that the correct diagnosis was made: a specialist detected a double rib fracture that required immediate surgery. Three weeks later, Dzevat Cerkezi was back at work, but the pain continued to be so unbearable that it robbed him of sleep at night.

This led to further misfortune: he was made redundant and spent a lot of time at home in Bassecourt. “This was also a burden for my wife and my two children.” Eventually, the disability insurance certified his work incapacity level at 50%.

People rather than cars  

Finally, in 2021, Dzevat Cerkezi was given the opportunity of a fresh professional start as a Client Service Officer at the CSS agency in Porrentruy. General agent Thierry Bourquard was impressed by Cerkezi's willpower even during the application process. Thierry Bourquard doesn’t regret for a second giving Dzevat Cerkezi this opportunity: “He quickly learned the ropes and contributes a great deal to client satisfaction.” The general agent believes that we shouldn’t just talk about integration and a sense of social responsibility, but should act accordingly when the opportunity presents itself.

Settled into the new job

Dzevat Cerkezi still has occasional pain in his upper body, but the satisfaction he gets from his new profession makes up for a lot. “This work suits me much better, because before I only had to deal with cars, but not people,” he says happily. Seen in this light, today’s CSS employee found his true calling through the accident.

How integration works

This success story shows how professional integration can work: an employee who, despite a tough stroke of fate, doesn’t wallow in resentment but takes the initiative to pursue new paths; and an employer who expresses confidence in him and makes a fresh start possible. Dzevat Cerkezi has even been awarded a prize by the Federal Disability Insurance of the Canton of Jura for his exceptional work ethic. He’s very grateful to CSS and in particular to Thierry Bourquard.