This varies significantly depending on the procedure performed as well as your job requirements. In general, patients can return to work sooner for a decompression surgery compared to a fusion. Patients with sedentary jobs may be able to return to work in 1-2 weeks. However, if your job requires a lot of bending and twisting, you may need to be off work for at least 6 weeks. Discuss this with your surgeon before surgery to determine an estimated time when you can return to work.