RTW Strategies that Successfully Return Injured Workers to Employment

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RTW Strategies that Successfully Return Injured
Workers to Employment

• Peggy J. Huntsinger, ARM,CPDM, WCCA

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History

• 1995 Injury Management Program including
  Temporary Modified Duty Accommodations
• 96/97 Fiscal Year Introduced WC Cost Allocation
  to Departments Based on Loss History

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Background

• Stanislaus County is a local area government
  located in the heart of California. We have over
  30 departments ranging from Law Enforcement,
  Health Care, Social services, Public Works,
  Financial, etc., with over 86 physical locations.
  A total area of 1,520 square miles, with
  population of approx 469,512. Our average number
  of employees is 4,429 number is fluid.

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History

• 1997 Job Task Analysis followed by Post Offer Pre
  Placement Physical Abilities Testing and Post
  Hire Ergonomics screening and education
• 1998 Formed Task Force to explore
• DM concept including Union participation

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History

• 1999 Implemented formalized Disability Management
  Program

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Opportunities

• Culture shift
• Philosophy change

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Return to Work Considerations

• Temporary Modified Duty
• Permanent Accommodation in Current Job Assignment
  or Classification
• Permanent Accommodation in an Alternate Job
  Assignment or Classification

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Recommendation

• Implement a Temporary Modified Duty Program
• Make Exploration of Permanent Job Assignments an
  Automatic Event
• Share Success Stories

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Keys to Success

• Job Task Analysis (identify essential functions
  and physical demands)
• Designated Occupational Physicians or Approved
  MPN
• Department Accountability
• Education

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Temporary Modified Duty

• Modify current job assignment to accommodate
• Reduce hours
• Transfer some duties
• Provide asistive devices
• Identify a bank of alternate
• job assignments
• Use Work Restriction
• Agreements

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Permanent Accommodation

• Permanent Accommodation in Current Job Assignment
  or Classification
• Permanent Accommodation in an Alternate Job
  Assignment or Classification
• Make Exploration of
• Permanent Job Assignments
• an Automatic Event

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Communicate Success

• Management Reports
• Safety Meetings
• Newsletters

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Realized Savings

• In the fiscal year 94/95 we had a total paid lost
  days (TD 4850) of 18,156
• In the fiscal year 0405 we had a total of paid
  lost days (TD 4850) of 8,064
• That is a reduction of 10,092
• paid lost days

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11 Year History Paid Lost Days
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Permanent Accommodation

• We have permanently accommodated more then 91
  people over the past six years.

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Permanent Accommodation
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Edison International and Sedgwick CMS
Deke Lightholder, CRC Sherri Stevens, M.S., CDMS,
CPDM
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Edison International

• Second Largest Utility in CA
• Power to 12 million customers
• 50,000 square mile service area
• 14,300 employees working in service centers,
  hydro plants, substations, power plants, call
  centers, nuclear power plant and administrative
  office
• Return to Work
• Workers Compensation Law Department
• Disability Management Human Resources

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Workers Compensation

• Self-Insured, Self Administered
• 35 Employees
• 1 Early Intervention Representative
• Claims having lost time
• Return to work with modifications
• 1 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• RTWP (closed, denied, post 1/1/04 DOI)
• Job Analyses
• Ergonomic Evaluations

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Disability Management

• Human Resource Department
• Corporate Medical Services/Disability Management
• DM administers corporate disability benefits and
  leave laws, non-occupational disabilities,
  accommodations, and corporate
• Return to Work Program
• Absence Management
• TPA Sedgwick CMS

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Sedgwick CMS

• Overview
• Workers Compensation
• Claims Management

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Workers CompensationEarly Intervention

• Edison EI
• Explores and coordinates Light Duty
• Inquires about potential for modified work and
  alternate jobs
• Provides employees medical status to work
  location
• May perform a Job Analysis and send to doctor to
  obtain approval for RTW via light/modified/alterna
  te work
• Sedgwick CMS EI

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Return to Work Program

• W.C. Vocational Rehabilitation
• D.M. RTWP - Old School VR Approach
• Applies to Non-Occupational and Occupational
• Internal VRCs and outside VRCs
• Vocational Evaluations
• Training/educational opportunities
• Job placement assistance
• Temporary Assignments
• Supplemental pay (inside Edison only)
• Bonus
• Accommodations

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Accommodations

• Schedule flexibility, leave, step-up programs
• Tools promoting safety, comfort, productivity
• Chairs
• Foot rests
• Wrist rests
• Mouse/keyboard selection
• Computer monitors
• Headsets
• Work station adjustments/positioning
• Sit/Stand stations
• Technology Voice Recognition Technology

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What Works

• Workers Compensation Early Intervention
• Corporate Commitment-Partnering with business
  units to develop a rapport, build their trust
• Job Modifications/Accommodations
• Vocational Rehab./Return to Work Program
• Comprehensive services
• Union buy-in
• Temporary Assignments OJT
• Employees develop new skills/transition back to
  work
• Supervisors can evaluate worker skills/traits

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Absence Management 2005

• Negotiated with unions
• New TPA selected
• Absence Management Program
• Greatest Challenges
• Change Management
• Systems

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Partnership New Program Planning

• Opportunities for process improvements
• Share Best Practices
• Process Flow Development
• Staff Selection
• Staff Training

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RTW

• Occupational/Non-Occupational RTW
• Returning to Work
• Reduces costs/lost work days
• Retains talent
• Right thing to do
• Mitigates lawsuits/grievances
• Compliance
• ADA/FEHA Claims

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Questions

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