Your supervisors need to understand alternate-duty work—what it is and what it isn’t. Share with them the following important information on this topic.
Alternate-duty work is one of the most important ways to ease a recovering employee’s return to work. Alternate-duty work is a transitional phase for a worker recovering from a job-related injury or illness to ease back into work routines without causing further harm.
Alternate-duty work gives the employee the chance to make a meaningful and productive contribution during the transitional phase. This time also provides a chance for the employee to rebuild strength gradually. Alternate-duty work also provides the opportunity for the employee to learn to perform tasks in ways that can prevent future injuries or illness. It is also a morale booster for employees who may be bored at home or fearful about future employment status.
It is a temporary situation that will end once the employee’s doctor says he or she can resume regular job duties. The transitional phase is monitored by medical professionals to prevent reinjury or repeat illness.
Need a more effective return-to-work (RTW) program? Learn how to build and manage a successful RTW program at BLR’s interactive webinar, “Return to Work,” on Thursday, October 10. Get details here.
Now a few words about what alternate duty is NOT:
- It is not make-work. It must be real work, something that needs to be done. Make-work harms the employee’s morale and may make coworkers resentful.
- It is definitely not an excuse for the employee to goof off. This would be bad for the morale of the whole work group. The employee must understand that the work is important and that you are counting on him or her to work hard and do a good job.
- It is not work that could reinjure the worker or aggravate an illness. Employers need to consult with medical professionals to design appropriate alternative work.
The above information comes from BLR’s presentation, “Workers’ Compensation: What Employers Need to Know.”
In just 90 minutes, learn effective tips for implementing a successful return-to-work program. Join us for a live webinar on October 10. Register now risk-free.
Return to Work: Building an Effective Program that Gets Injured Employees Back to Work Quickly
One of the most successful methods to deal with employee injuries and illnesses is to implement a comprehensive RTW program that includes effective alternate-duty work. Companies that have RTW programs in place can reduce workers’ compensation costs, including temporary disability, medical, rehabilitation, and re-training, while getting employees back to their assigned positions more quickly.
Setting up an RTW program requires a level of effort and commitment that, when done correctly, will yield positive results to your organization’s bottom line.
Despite the tremendous benefits of having an effective RTW program in place, many companies do not have one for a variety of reasons—maybe they think it’s too difficult or that it didn’t work in the past so it’s not worth trying again.
Regardless of the reason, a comprehensive RTW program can keep your organization on the right track. Learn more about building and managing a successful RTW program at BLR’s webinar, “Return to Work: Building an Effective Program that Gets Injured Employees Back to Work Quickly.”
This interactive webinar is for both HR and safety professionals. You’ll learn:
- Best practices for documenting the requirements for permanent and transitional jobs to better work with medical staff
- How to ensure that supervisors understand and follow the RTW process, including complying with medical limitations
- How to prepare successful and practical individual RTW plans
- How to address employee and union concerns that may arise
- Strategies for finding and evaluating outside resources to help you in developing and implementing your RTW program
Join us for this exciting and informative webinar on Thursday, October 10. Register Now.