Injury management and RTW don’t always go according to plan. A good policy will anticipate special situations and include procedures for dealing with them. Special situations include:
1. Serious injury
Serious injuries require specialised management. Injured employees cannot always return to their pre-injury job.
| • | The policy should recommend the early assessment of probable RTW outcomes when serious injury occurs. |
| • | If an individual is not going to be able to return to their normal duties, early identification allows the focus to be placed on retraining and the development of alternate career options. |
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2. Completion of employment
If an individual is unable to in the workplace, termination of employment on medical grounds may occur. return to productive work
| • | An organisation's policy should define when this may occur and the process to be followed. For example, staff may be recommended to seek guidance from their union representative. |
| • | The issue of ongoing compensation should also be addressed within the policy. |
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3. Dispute resolution
Successful workplace disability management requires cooperation between the employee and workplace. Disputes should be resolved as quickly as possible.
A dispute resolution plan should be outlined in the policy, including:
| 1. | Who a staff person can involve, for example a union representative or other employee representative; |
| 2. | The process that will be followed, be it an internal review or external dispute resolution; and |
| 3. | The timeframe for resolving disputes. |
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4. Dispute avoidance for questionable claims
Disputing questionable claims is not the only option. Some organisations have a budget designed to assist employees in certain circumstance without requiring them to undergo a full claims process.
There may be a cap on that can be spent on one person, such as $1000. This budget can be used where there is a question about a claim, but the employer wishes to assist the individual – and avoid time-consuming and potentially costly disputation. This is also a hassle-free option for the employee: most people would prefer to have their problem dealt with and move on with their lives rather than lodge a questionable claim. Where appropriate, the policy should outline the circumstances in which such capped assistance payments will apply.
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