Writing up a job description

When assisting a person back to work it is common to document the job they will be doing.

1.	To clarify the role, including its physical and mental demands

2.	Inform others in the company about which tasks will be done

3.	To seek feedback from people external to the company, such as the doctor

A standard job description text format is not useful in this context. Words can only provide limited information about the role, and people outside the company will have little understanding of the workplace setup. One or two line descriptions will leave everyone confused, however, a text description job illustrating its physical and mental demands, supported by photos, or a simple video that demonstrates them is helpful.

Things to watch out for

The routine of a job may vary when the employee has to deal with a problem situation, e.g. running a machine that is working smoothly may require x and y actions every two minutes at elbow height. However the same machine malfunctioning may require a repeated series of overhead actions to unblock. The demands of an office administration role may be quite different as a deadline approaches.

The common form of job description outlines the role, the skills needed, the objectives of the job and it's tasks. This kind of description is very different from the physical (or mental) demands of the job. e.g. a traditional job description does not outline the frequency of kneeling that may be required.

An intelligent return to work job description includes the following

Simple and clear descriptions of the job demands

Photos or a video that illustrates the text description.

With the advent of digital cameras the addition of photos is easy. These should be accompanied by a short paragraph describing the task.

The reader will get a better idea of the job, as well as a sense of the working environment.

A description of any out of the ordinary situations that can occur, and how these will be addressed

For example: During sale periods, customer service staff may handle twice the number of cash register transactions. During this period Ms X will be rotated between the registers and the role of answering customer queries at each natural work break (morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea).

An overview of how concerns about the transitional job should be addressed and the process for review of duties

For example: Return to work is best managed through a cooperative working relationship between the person with the condition and the supervisor. As such, concerns about any aspect of the role should be discussed with Ms Y, the supervisor.

Mr Z, the return to work coordinator, is also available to assist. If Ms Y, the supervisor is unavailable, concerns should be raised with Mr Z, the department manager who is also available as back up.

Weekly meetings between Ms X and Ms Y have been arranged, to discuss the job and tasks and identify any problems early.

Contact details are

Ms Y: Supervisor

Mr Z: Department Manager:

A timeline for return to normal duties

Set a date when it is expected normal duties will be resumed. Review this date and its expectation with the employee and the supervisor as it approaches. The date may be extended if required, but do not allow it to lapse without review. If the target cannot be met after one extension, consult the treater with the co-operation of the employee.

What's next?
Example of an intelligent job description