Roles and Responsibilities

While return to work programs are uniquely designed to fit each different company, employers can create the right climate for a successful program by following a few simple steps:

• Recognize the value that individual employees bring to achieving the goals of the company.
• Promote regular and collaborative communication among employees, so that employees feel valued.
• Recognize the need to reduce disability costs by providing the appropriate services and encouraging return to work.

Finding the right process will take some planning and coordination initially, so it's important to identify someone in your company to take charge of coordinating return to work situations. This person will be your internal "Return to Work Case Manager" and can come from the ranks of HR, employee medical or other appropriate personnel. When searching for this person, try to find someone who has a good understanding of company jobs and personnel policies and procedures. A proactive disability or workers' compensation carrier can also assist with these communications, as well as the development of roles and responsibilities and identification of job accommodations.

The attached workflow can be helpful to document the point people in this process. The brunt of employee management falls on the shoulders of the front line supervisor, so this workflow will help them as well to identify whom to go to with their questions, as well as to guide the employee.

Return to Work Long Term Disability Workflow