Transitioning injured employees back into the workplace
What is a Suitable Duties Plan?
Depending on the types of tasks performed by an organisation, a worker on the path to injury recovery might be able to slip straight back into their pre-injury role. In other instances, however, the worker might be side-lined from their usual tasks – this is where a suitable duties plan comes into play.
A suitable duties plan maps out the tasks that a worker will be able to perform at work while they recover. It has a clear timeline and is tailored to the individual situation and the workplace. Our team will not only devise the plan in collaboration with health professionals, but we will also oversee the plan throughout the life of the claim.
What are the benefits of a Suitable Duties Plan?
Planning is an indispensable part of the injury recovery process. It brings the future goal of complete recovery into the present, giving all parties a clear roadmap to getting an injured worker back to work.
The injured worker will regain their confidence at work, keep up a routine, earn while they recover and even learn new skills. For a person rehabilitating from injury, having a day-to-day routine also has significant mental health benefits, providing the worker with purpose and direction.
Meanwhile for the employer, implementing a Suitable Duties Program eliminates the burden of training new staff, higher insurance premiums and an eroded workforce skill level. It’s a win-win.
What does a Suitable Duties Plan include?
A Suitable Duties Plan not only details ‘suitable duties’. It also covers suitable working hours, guidance on work-pacing, pain control, micro-breaks and stretching routines. As workers recover, the program evolves in line with these improvements in functional capacity.
A Suitable Duties Plan also clearly details restrictions based on medical advice. It is just as important to avoid injury aggravations and ensure safe work practices, as it is to encourage getting back to work.