Getting Back to Work

Once an employee has an injury or illness that results in extended time off from work, there are subtle and not-so-subtle changes that impact the worker’s life as well as those of co-workers, family members and friends. The employer, treating physician, family, friends and co-workers all influence the successful recovery and return to work of the employee. In recent years, employers have been paying more attention to managing disability costs – both financial costs and loss of productivity. Workers’ compensation costs and disability insurance premiums are significantly impacted by the length of absence from work. The literature has indicated that recovery times are shortened when recovering employees have an active interest in the workplace, are valued in the A Safety Perspective Getting Back to Work workplace, and return to work as soon as it is safely possible to do so.

Laboratories are not immune to the gradual increase of employee absence from work that is being experienced in most industries in North America. In addition to the health aspects of shiftwork, stressful work environments, potential exposure to new and exotic chemical and biological agents, laboratories have also felt the impacts of an aging workforce. With more employees off for various illnesses and injuries, the workload increases for co-workers, who sometimes doubt the authenticity of the absence. The traditional approach to managing illness and injury resulted in the physician writing a medical note to the employer identifying that the employee would be absent from work for medical reasons until they were well enough to resume full duties. Over the years, this approach has shifted, with the recognition that a gradual return to work has both physical and psychological benefits to the employee.

Not all employers and physicians have embraced this shift, resulting in some level of frustration by employees, managers, physicians, unions and co-workers. There are still myths about return to work programs that some people believe.

1. The 100 percent or nothing myth
   Employees must be able to do 100 percent of their job tasks before returning to work.
2. The disability-migration myth
   Individuals who return to work in a transitional capacity from lost-time cases that are not work-related will re-injure themselves and then go out on workers’ compensation claims.
3. The “It’s not my job” myth
   It’s the disability income protection provider’s exclusive responsibility to bring the employee back to work in a timely manner.
4. The Light-Duty myth
   Light duty is an effective way to return employees to their full productivity.
5. The total-disengagement myth
   People who are ill or injured need total rest and removal from everyday life in order to recover.
6. The skeptic’s myth
   Most employees want to stay out of work as long as possible.
7. The isolated-benefit myth
   Employees can successfully manage return to-work by focusing their efforts on a single benefit program, such as long-term disability.
8. The physician-as-occupational expert myth
   Physicians always offer work restrictions based on solid knowledge of job demands and know when a patient is ready to return to work.
9. The “We can’t afford it” myth
   Return-to-work accommodations cost too much.
10. The FMLA Limitation myth
    The Family Medical Leave act (FMLA) prohibits employers from requiring participation in a light-duty program.

Several key factors influence the ability of an employee to successfully return to work after an extended absence. These include:

• The willingness of the manager to accommodate the injured employee by providing modified hours or tasks until full duties can be resumed.
• Cooperative and supportive co-workers who may have to bear a heavier workload or adjust their own tasks or schedules.
• A positive safety culture where people are valued.
• A proactive approach to returning employees to work.
• A larger workplace, where opportunities to return to different positions are possible.
• The employee’s expectation that he or she can return to work successfully.
• A short time delay from injury to treatment.
• The attitude and support of health care workers, including the treating physician.
• Supportive family members and friends.

References:

1 Work Safe BC, Return to Work and Injury Management Programs. http://www.worksafebc.com/claims/rehab_and_rtw/rtw_employers/default.asp

2 Government of Wisconsin; Top 10 Return-To Work Myths and the Realities Behind Them; http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dvr/pdf_files/employers_top_ten_myths.pdf

Written by:
Gene Shematek
Occupational Health and Safety Consultant to CSMLS and claim Workers’ Compensation

Published in: Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science, Winter 2014, Vol. 76, No. 4
Pg. 12 – 13