PERSONNEL POLICY
Purpose:
To minimize the company losses and bring a productive employee who has been injured on-the-job back to work as soon as possible. The company will benefit directly by decreasing time-loss compensation to out of work employees. Thus, by paying an employee to do light duty, the company can immediately reduce the cost of that employee’s time-loss by 70% or more.
Scope:
Occupational Health and Safety reports of surveys and studies have shown that both the company and the employee will benefit from a good return to work program. Employees who return to work while recuperating actually heal faster. Employees who return to the job site, even for shortened periods of time, i.e., four hours a day, have their work to think about, keep their activity level high, avoid depression and know how their income is coming (at least in part) from the fruits of their own labor.
Policy:
I. If an injured employee is to be out of work for more than seven (7) days, steps
should be taken to keep a positive bond between the employee and the County,
and the County should make every effort to bring the employee back on light
duty work, if possible.
II. If an employee expresses a desire to return to light duty or if a supervisor has
any information that the employee my be able to return to work and has not,
and has not expressed a willingness to do so, he/she should contact the
Personnel Department at once. The Personnel Department, if felt warranted,
will request an investigation be made by the claims representative and/or
rehabilitation nurse.
III. If the investigation by the claims representative and/or rehabilitation nurse
indicates that a return to light duty appears to be warranted, then the Director
of Personnel shall submit to the attending physician a copy of the proposed
light duty job description for approval. The employee shall not be permitted
to perform light duty unless approved by the attending physician. Light duty
may be a reduction in hours spent performing those duties typically associated
with the employee’s regular classification, or, the employee may be assigned
to a completely different job classification with no adjustment in salary or
benefits during this time.
IV. Light housekeeping, stock reorganization, inventory, operating the mail
machine, filing, answering the telephone, typing, and other jobs of this sort
can be accomplished by most light duty employees. If the employee is
offered a job and the job is approved by the attending physician, that
employee must accept light duty work.
V. The employee who returns to light duty is monitored closely by a supervisor.
The supervisor should take time to reinstruct the employee on safety
procedures and good work practices.
VI. Employees on light duty assignment can return to their regular duties upon
receipt of a Report of Attending Physician signed by the employee’s
attending physician attesting to the employee’s physical and mental fitness to
resume regular duties. The Attending Physician’s Report will be submitted to
the Personnel Department before the employee resumes regular duties.
If this helps you get started in the right direction than use it. Just change the words to fit
your company
Regards,
John Gavin Ret Mil
Safety Professional (OSHA) Trainer
A Safety Resource in Training
jgavin_99@Yahoo.com