One of the questions I frequently hear from our readers has to do with the challenge they face in finding alternate duties for accommodating workers. To assist in the quest for alternative duties that everyone can agree to, we offer a few tips and tricks.

First things first

An effective return to work plan starts with the establishment of good relationships. This is also the area that is most fragile and difficult to manage.  Since good relationships are dependent on an element of trust, one must be careful not to square-off and point fingers of blame.  This kind of behavior tends to be a huge waste of time, totally unproductive, and very expensive.

Putting aside all preconceived ideas about the worker and the circumstances of their injury is the primary step in return to work.

Here are the key points that make the case for putting aside suspicions of injured workers:

• Support is paramount. The first rule is to support the injured worker – regardless of reservations about the legitimacy of the worker’s claim. Empathy, communication and conflict management can side-step a cold war of soured relationships and harbored resentment later on.
• It’s not your call.  At the end of the day, it’s not your role to determine whether or not an illness or injury is work-related. Leave that to the minefield of medical, legal and political processes, which may be neither predictable nor under your influence.
• Trust, trust, trust.  Ultimately, a high number of cases that result in extended absence and increased costs - of litigation or increased premium costs – begin with a lack of trust between the injured or ill worker and the employer. This will only end up costing the company more time and money.

Breaking it down

RTW coordinators and employers can feel in the dark when faced with finding alternate duties. This tends to occur most often when the job is physical in nature, with very little transferability of skills to a lighter job. 

When this is the case, it’s best to simplify and focus on each element of the worker’s role.  Look at the way the employee was doing the job before they became limited and break down the tasks into smaller components.  They may not be able to do their entire job, but they could probably do some components of it.

For example, the worker may not be able to lift the pallet or that 25lb bag of cement, but they can do things like receive stock.  Another option may be for the worker to do some of those projects that have been put on the backburner and the employer never quite got around to completing.

Instead of remaining off work, the employee can continue to be productive by performing the less physical components of their job while they recover to the point where they can do their pre-injury job again.

Meaningful duties

Great return to work outcomes relies on providing meaningful alternate duties for a worker. If the duties are too repetitive or boring, the worker may resort to focusing their attention on their pain levels or anxieties.

It's important to have alternative work that is engaging, varied and makes the worker feel as though they are contributing.  When return to work coordination is done in this fashion, the worker is more likely to enjoy optimal mental and physical health.  Ultimately, what occurs is a faster and less costly return to work outcome that benefits everyone.

Finding meaningful work doesn't need to be difficult and quite often, it’s just about being a bit more creative. Inspiration can also reside in the worker and even the other employees.  Involve them in the process of finding meaningful alternate duties. They may have ideas about how to modify their existing tasks, or tell you about additional skill-sets they have that you weren’t aware of.  Most importantly, the ill or injured worker will become empowered, knowing that they also played a part in their own return to work plan. 

The final word

If you’re still struggling to find meaningful alternate duties, think about other tasks or roles within the company the worker could perform, such as: administrative duties, customer service, reception work, or other general duties.  Those jobs that may have ordinarily been filled by temporary workers can now be used to allow the returning worker a new lease on work.

If you ensure that meaningful alternate duties and communication are important in your workplace, durable, productive return to work will remain important to the employee.