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Benefits and Pensions MonitorUniversity Gets Staff Back To Work
Early intervention and return to work monitoring are two key factors in the success of the Return to Work/Disability Management Program (RTW/DM Program) at Simon Fraser University (SFU). The university has seen a reduction of an average of 1.5 sick days per employee per year and also experienced a reduction in numbers and duration of long-term disability and Workers Compensation claims. The reductions have occurred in spite of an aging workforce. Early Intervention “Our early intervention program is an integral part of our return to work program,” says Linda Byrnes, return to work/disability management co-ordinator. “People may qualify who are having difficulty at work, have a procedure coming up, or whose supervisor senses that the employee is beginning to have problems.” Byrnes says one important program resource is the human resources information system which generates timely reports showing sick leave and other absence. “It brings to our attention days and hours of absence as well as patterns of absence,” says Byrnes. Early intervention has resulted in reduction of short-term sick leave and extended sick leave as well as in a reduction in the number of employees who have had to apply for longterm disability benefits. Employees are referred to community, university, and medical resources, and helped with access to preventative, health, and wellness resources. Requests for early intervention come from supervisors and from employees in approximately equal numbers. These contacts frequently involve requests for information about rights and responsibilities during medical absence, advice about chronic absence, and for facilitation in resolving absence issues. Job coaching is also an element of early intervention, providing employees with practical skills that can be helpful.
Just like the supervisor/employee contact, most of the program communication is interactive. During the North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) week, the university offers information and activities at each of its campuses. There are also instruction, training sessions, and presentations available throughout the year that include information on return to work and wellness. The university website is also an important source of workplace health and wellness information. In terms of health and wellness promotion, SFU has resources which are not available for every employer. Aside from an Employee and Family Assistance Program, the university has an on-campus physiotherapy clinic, gymnasiums, an Olympic size swimming pool, recreational services, athletic training, an art gallery, museums, a health services department, counsellors, educational opportunities, and other resources which employees can access. SFU wants to create an environment where people are fully aware of the resources available to them “so that when important events occur in their life, they know where to go to get the information they need.” Return To Work More than 85 per cent of employees returning to work from extended sick leave and long-term disability do so on a graduated basis. Employees, their supervisor, and the return to work/disability management co-ordinator work closely together to monitor the schedule and duties to which the employee is returning and make adjustments as necessary. Monitoring during the return to work period has proven an essential component of successful and permanent return to work. Going Forward |
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