Your injured worker doesn’t need to be fully recovered or finished their medical treatment to return to work. In fact, achieving complete recovery often doesn’t occur until returning to work.
Returning to work post injury isn’t always easy – but it is good for improving health and well-being. Any long term absence from work caused by injury, disability or unemployment can be associated with a negative health consequences. Furthermore, increased absenteeism from work means less chance of ever returning.
There are many complex variables that affect people returning to work after injury or illness - but a sustainable return to work is more likely when and employer and injured worker can facilitate a gradual return to work.
Injured Workers
As an injured worker – it’s important to understand the health benefits of returning to work to be empowered about the process. Returning to work can:
- Enhance recovery process
- Boost self-esteem and identity within the workplace or community
- Increase social participation and fulfilment
- Decrease adverse physical, psychological, social and financial effects of absenteeism
- Decrease the chance of suicide
So how can you help yourself return to work? Try to stay positive and seek advice about your injury – that way, you can be confident about self-managing your recovery. Keep in contact with your employer, especially when away from work. For example, you could deliver your medical certificate to them in person – also make sure you raise any issues or concerns immediately.
Employers
As an employer, you play a key role in assisting injured workers to return to early, safe and sustainable work. By playing an active role as an employer, you:
- Help your worker recovery faster
- Retain the skills and knowledge of your injured worker
- Reduce costs associated with lost productivity and recruiting and training new staff to cover the role
- Build workplace morale and culture by demonstrating employees that all workers are valued
- Reduce the impact of the claim on your employer’s WorkSafe Injury Insurance premium
Gradually Returning to Work
A gradual return to work program (RTWP) helps injured workers return to the workplace. In most instances, an injured worker does not need to fully recovered before returning to work – as long as there’s a will and a way to accommodate restoration of physical, mental and social functioning.
How can it help?
A graded RTWP can be particularly helpful after a workplace injury has occurred, as it helps to minimise the risk of re-injury through the development of a gradual return to work process tailored for the employee.
A graded RTWP also increases an employee's chance of maintaining a successful re-entry into the workplace after an injury.
As an employer, you are required to provide modified, alternate or gradual return to work options for injured workers. Here’s how to create a graded RTWP with an injured worker:
- Seek advice from a qualified health professional to carry out a worksite assessment - this will provide the necessary information about the worker's pre-injury duties and any other alternative duties that may be required as a result.
- Identify appropriate suitable duties and hours of work for the employee, which will help them return to their pre-injury role successfully.
- Monitor and assess their progress and with a health professional - make any adjustments that may be required.
- Communicate your return to work program internally to help employees know what is available and expected of them before an injury occurs.
Getting started after an injury is as easy as calling your worker to ask about their expected recovery time and what they can do while they’re recovering. So, the earlier you start working with your Return to Work Coordinator and your injured worker, the better the outcome for everyone involved. Gallagher Bassett provides regular employer training as part of myGB Benefits myGBeducation is designed to make it easy for you to access that training, by booking into courses and accessing online modules and ur industry-recognised courses are highly interactive, facilitated by experienced trainers
We run training and courses such as RTW Responsibilities for Managers and Supervisors, the Role of a Return to Work Coordinator, Advanced Claims Management and over 100 more.
To find out more about myGB Education or to speak to an expert, connect with GB.
