Improving disability management in the workplace
Take Home Messages:
Improving return to work rates requires an employer to plan for the long term, and appreciate the evidence about what works when managing disability in the workplace.
Having a policy to involve line managers in return to work, provide transitional duties, and accommodate the worker within their job (or retain them in another position where possible) is a good start.
Why the research matters:
Employers can run disability management programs in the workplace to minimise long absences from work, foster a positive workplace environment and increase productivity in the long term. In order to do so it is important to have a disability management program with the right components.
What the research involved:
In 2000, an article published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation discussed a survey of U.S. employers with disability management programs to find out whether their programs included approaches that are proven to work.
Summary of research findings:
The employers surveyed did practice some elements of successful disability management, often having policies promoting return to work programs. These included job accommodations and the provision of transitional work duties. However, the involvement of frontline managers in the return to work process was limited. If direct supervisors are actively involved in injury management, their workers are much more likely to return to work successfully. To facilitate this it is critical that supervisors get the training and support they need to be confident in participating in return to work planning and management.
The employers surveyed also did not usually offer alternative employment to workers who were unable to be accommodated in their previous position. Alternative jobs may not always be available within the company, but developing them to retain employees wherever possible creates a positive, supportive workplace culture that enhances morale and benefits everyone.
Original research:
Employers' disability management activities: Descriptors and exploratory test of the financial incentives hypothesis
D.S. Salkever, J. Shinogle and M. Purushothaman
Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation; 10(3):199-214 (2000)