Step One: Clarify Medical Status
Contact the Zenith claims examiner or the doctor to ascertain the employee's medical needs and medical restrictions. Find out whether the employee has temporary restrictions that prevent performance of regular work duties.
Step Two: Evaluate Your Work Process
- "Think Task, Not Job." Although the employee's job may require tasks that exceed temporary medical restrictions, he or she may be able to perform many other required tasks, despite the injury.
- Analyze all work activities required in your workplace, not just those included within the employee's regular job duties. By doing this, you may identify alternative tasks the employee is able to do that bring value to your operation.
- With assistance from the Zenith claims/return-to-work specialist or Safety and Health Consultant, you should be able to identify temporary task assignments that will allow your employee to safely transition back to full duties as part of the recovery process.
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Step Three: Formalize the Transitional Work Assignment
Once you have identified suitable tasks within the employee's temporary restrictions, it is important to formalize the transitional work offer process. It is usually desirable to prepare a summary of the work tasks and physical demands of the transitional work assignment. This document may be submitted to the doctor for medical authorization. Documenting the offer of transitional work in writing to the employee will clarify expectations and eliminate confusion. Some states may require that specific state forms be filed for this type of documentation, so check with the Zenith claims specialist.
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Step Four: Work Within Restrictions
Make sure that you and your supervisors carefully monitor the employee's work to ensure that the temporary medical restrictions are observed. It is important that the supervisor understand why you are providing a transitional work assignment, how it benefits your company and the employee, and the exact nature of the temporary medical restrictions.
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Step Five: Follow Up for Transition Back to Full Duty
Maintain regular contact with the Zenith claims specialist(s), the doctor and the employee to review medical status for changes in restrictions and/or release to regular duty work. If the employee's condition prevents a return to regular, full duty on a long-term or permanent basis, it may be necessary to take other steps to meet state legal requirements, depending on your particular jurisdiction.
