Returning to work after an illness or injury is an important step on a worker’s road to recovery, but it raises questions for both the employer and the employee. How much time away from work are workers entitled to? Do they need to be “100% healed” before they can return? And can they be assigned to transitional work or light duty?
Having a return to work program ensures that ill or injured employees know when they can get back to work, and what conditions they’ll need to meet in order to do so.
Here’s how to create a clear and effective return to work policy and use HR automation to streamline your employee’s return.
A return to work (RTW) policy is a set of guidelines that describes how and under what conditions an ill or injured worker can resume their regular job. The purpose of a RTW policy is to standardize the return to work process so that your employees know their options and can rejoin the workforce faster.
A return to work program differs from a returnship program, which is meant to reskill experienced employees who took a career break.
A RTW program usually applies to employees who need to take time off work due to a workplace injury or a medical condition. An ill or injured employee may be well enough to return to work but unable to perform all of their job duties, so a RTW policy helps both parties navigate that transitional period and ensure a successful return.
Having a good return to work policy doesn’t just benefit employees; it also makes things easier for your human resources department. Here are a few ways a RTW policy can streamline operations and improve productivity in the workplace.
A return to work policy isn’t just a nice-to-have perk or an employee benefit. It shows your employees that you’re looking out for their well-being and doing your best to create a work environment where no one gets left behind.
The return to work process will vary depending on whether an employee is on leave due to a work-related injury, a personal medical condition, or a disability. Different laws apply to each situation, so be sure to comply with the current requirements in your state.
Here are three common scenarios that call for a return to work policy:
When an employee gets injured on the job, they may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits until they can return to work. A return to work program allows them to get back to work sooner than they might otherwise be able to.
Their treating physician will assess the employee’s ability to return to full-duty work or to take on modified duty job tasks. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to provide the employee with alternative work assignments that take their medical restrictions into account.
The duration of the transitional period could be anywhere from a few weeks to several months. If a work injury meets the criteria of a disability, an employee may qualify for additional protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has its own set of return to work guidelines. Unlike workers’ compensation insurance, FMLA leave can apply to a variety of situations that aren’t related to a workplace injury, such as:
Employees who qualify for FMLA leave can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, and they are entitled to the same role and the same pay when they return to work.
If the absence is related to medical treatment or a medical condition, the employer can ask for a fitness-for-duty certification from the employee’s health care provider when they intend to return to work.
The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to employees with a qualifying disability. This could take the form of ADA leave, modified work equipment, improved accessibility, or a part-time schedule.
Employees might also qualify for ADA protections after taking another type of leave if an injury or illness has turned into an ongoing disability. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodation even if the return to work period has ended.
As with workers’ comp, the employee’s medical provider or treating doctor will assess the employee’s ability and make a list of any necessary work restrictions. Employers should engage in the ADA interactive process with the employee to find suitable accommodations.
Having a written return to work policy makes it easier to communicate the benefits of your RTW program to your employees, and it also simplifies your paperwork. Here are three best practices to ensure that your return to work policy is clear and impartial, and meets your obligations under the law:
Since every case is different, make a custom offer of transitional duty to each employee who is returning to work and create a formal agreement for them to sign.
A return to work program helps employees rejoin the workforce by providing them with temporary, light-duty work until they’re fully recovered. Depending on the nature of the illness or injury, federal laws like the FMLA and the ADA may also apply. Having a clear return to work policy can streamline the process for everyone involved.
Pulpstream makes it easy with our leave of absence and return to work management systems. Our cloud-based platform helps you connect separate elements of your RTW system — including SMS, DocuSign, and email — so you can streamline key parts of the process. You can also use it to automate other HR processes, such as incident management and claims management.
Request a demo today to see Pulpstream in action and learn more!