Rehabilitation and Return to Work Policy

REHABILITATION AND RETURN TO WORK POLICY

APPRENTICES TRAINEES EMPLOYMENT LIMITED (ATEL)

1. POLICY Apprentices Trainees Employment Limited (ATEL) recognises and accepts its responsibilities to its employees. To this end it is implementing this policy to ensure effective rehabilitation of injured/ill employees and facilitate their early return to work.
   
    
2. DEFINITION OF OCCUPATIONAL REHABILITATION Occupational rehabilitation is the restoration of the injured/ill employee to the fullest physical. psychological, social, vocational and economic usefulness of which he/she is capable. Ideally this results in the return of the individual to their pre-injury work.
   
    
3. COMMITMENT TO REHABILITATION
   • Preventing injury/illness through the provision of a work environment that is safe and without risk to health;
   • Ensuring that occupational rehabilitation processes are commenced in a manner consistent with medical judgement as soon as possible after injury/illness;
   • Ensuring that return to work by injured/ill Employees as soon as possible is normal practice and therefore is an Employee expectation;
   • Providing suitable duties if at all possible as part of the rehabilitation and return to work process;
   • Communicating with Employees at all times with regard to their rehabilitation;
   • Ensuring confidentiality of employee information is safe guarded at all times;
   • Ensuring that participation in a rehabilitation program will not, of itself, prejudice any Employee;
   • Monitoring the progress of a rehabilitation program in consultation with the injured/ill Employee, the Host Employer, the Return to Work Coordinator, Health Professionals and Rehabilitation Providers to ensure its effectiveness and revision where appropriate;
   • Locating suitable duties in alternative work areas if necessary; and
   • Encouraging Employees to remain at work on limited or alternative duties if at all possible.
   ATEL’s commitment to rehabilitation means:
   
    
4. RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   4.1 Employer:
   
   To ensure that responsibilities under the relevant legislation are clearly understood by all parties;
   • To respond appropriately to Employees specific concerns in relation to workplace hazards;
   • To facilitating the early return to work of injured/ill Employees; and
   • To identify appropriate duties in conjunction with the injured/ill Employee, Host Employers, Return to Work Coordinator and Nominated Treating Doctor when required to do so.
   
   
   4.2 Employee:
   
   
   • To not wilfully place at risk the health or safety of any person at the workplace;
   • To co-operate with the Employer in implementing any actions taken in the interests of health, safety and welfare;
   • To co-operate in workplace changes designed to assist the rehabilitation of fellow Employees and assist in the provision of a work environment that is supportive of workplace-based rehabilitation;
   • To notify any injury/illness in the prescribed manner to Atel, Field Officer or Host Employer as soon as is practicable after the injury/illness;
   • To notify ATEL of any initial visits to the doctor prior to attending;
   • To participate in rehabilitation processes designed to ensure an early return to work; and
   • To inform their doctor that ATEL has a return to work policy and that it is likely that they will be contacted to discuss a return to work program.
   
   
   4.3 Return to Work Coordinator:
   
   
   • To make recommendations to management on issues of a general nature and/or specific to an individual rehabilitation plan;
   • To consult with Employees and relevant parties prior to any proposed return to work;
   • To contact the injured Employee to ensure that appropriate medical attention is being received and to prepare the Employee for a safe and timely return to work consistent with medical advice;
   • To consult with the nominated Treating Doctor, Treating Specialists and/or the Nominated Rehabilitation Provider and Host Employer to obtain assistance if the employee is unlikely to resume pre-injury duties in the short or long term;
   • To ensure after consultation with the Treating Doctor and other relevant parties that individual return to work strategies are developed for each injured Employee and that alternate duties are meaningful, productive and consistent with their capabilities;
   • To prepare a return to work plan within 10 days of the 20th day of no current work capacity as indicated by a WorkCover medical certificate. This is done in consultation with the Employee, Nominated Treating Doctor and any relevant Host Employer;
   • To nominate any person on an individual return to work plan as the person responsible for co­ordinating of that return to work plan.
   • To ensure that risk management factors associated with the injury/illness, or identified during rehabilitation are communicated to the Employer.
   
   
   The nominated Return to Work Coordinator is Lisa Browne
   
   
    
5. REHABILITATION PROVIDER In order to provide a consistent coherent approach to rehabilitation ATEL has designated a list of three preferred Rehabilitation Providers. Injured employees have the right to choose from ATEL’s preferred Providers. If they are not satisfied with these three Providers the Employee then chooses their own rehabilitation provider in agreement with ATEL. ATEL’s preferred Providers are: (1) Wills Injury Management, (2) Rehabilitation Outcomes and (3) IRS Total Injury Management.
   
    
6. DISPUTES ATEL accepts the need to consult with Employees regarding disputes and to contact the Insurer, WorkCover Claims Assistance Service, an Injury Management Consultant or the Workers Compensation Commission to resolve the dispute.

Policy Authorised by: Michael Kirby - Managing Director

Peter Smillie - OH&S Manager

Date: 1st October 2009

Review Date: 1st October 2010