Employer Has No Return to Work Program, or light duty? No Problem
Posted by Katrina Paglierani on Thu, Dec 17, 2009 @ 09:21 AM
Sometimes an employer has no return to work program and cannot or will not provide light or modified duty positions for injured workers, or those out on workers compensation.
You have a few options, it is up to the case manager to determine which is appropriate or effective in each case.
Volunteer or charity jobs- insurer still pays wage-loss benefits
Training programs- insurer still pays wage-loss benefits
Work at home -in many cases not accepted as true "employment".
Employment positions with new employer
Light duty or transitional duty: Many companies do not have light duty positions available. Especially companies in Construction, transportation, manufacturing and the like. Many of these companies do not have office staff employed or an office at all for that matter.
Lets look at each option:
Volunteer or charity work.
In most cases, it is best for the injured worker and the employer to get them back to work as soon as possible. It helps the injured worker mentally and physically and helps to keep cases from being strung out longer than necessary. Oftentimes, volunteer or charity work is useful in keeping a worker in the workforce, though oftentimes the employer is still required to pay all or some of the wages for the injured employee.
Training Programs.
Training programs are another viable option for some cases. If the employee is unable to attain equivalent income in another field with the skills they have, this may be necessary to get them into a position where they can earn at the level they were pre-injury. For example, a trucker with incomplete high school education that has been doing that one job for 35 years and is now unable to, may be a good candidate for some sort of training. As, his current skills and education preclude him from many positions. This is a good option, and voc rehab is mandatory in some states. It is a good way to increase the employability of an injured worker. But, it does cost, and does not guarantee that the person will be better able to find a job. It also does not mean they will use the training to their benefit. They will still need to aggressively and consistently look for work.
Work at home.
Recently, I have seen the emergence of companies offering a combination of training to work at home and guaranteed position after training. This is especially useful if someone has a severe permanent restriction that precludes them from commuting or driving to an office, or place of work. On the other hand, many work at home positions are not considered true employment. You have to look at these prospects very carefully and make sure that such employment will be viewed as a true position if you go this route. Again, the training for this type of position can obligate the employer to pay for hundreds of hours of training, sometimes almost a year with no relief from indemnity payments (wage loss benefits) and , sometimes the added cost of the training for that same period. Yet, if this person is generally unemployable, this may be your only available course of action, and could save you substantially in the end.
Job Finding (National Job Finders Services)
Re-employment with a new employer ends (or at least immediately reduces) wage-loss or indemnity payments. Workers Comp claimaints, in most states, are required to look for and accept employment that is within their restrictions. This is the quickest and most effective way to end wage-loss benefits. If you can find open positions that are appropriate geographically, financially and physically for injured workers, you can place the claimant or prove non-compliance if they do not participate in the search for new employment. Usually, 4-5 interviews is enough to prove non-compliance.