Return To Work Coordinator Duties In The Workplace

If you’ve got an employee who has recently returned to work after recovering from an injury, and you have a Return to Work Coordinator on your staff to assist with reacclimating that employee to his workspace and duties, then you must ensure that the Return to Work Coordinator has the skills, knowledge and experience necessary for that job. Return to Work Coordinators are key staff members who are meant to “welcome” your employees back from their leave from work. In this article, we will cover everything that a Return to Work Coordinator will need to be successful in their role. These competencies result in more seamless transitions as injured employees return to their jobs after an extended leave of absence.

Obligatory Duties

A Return to Work Coordinator’s sole purpose is to make sure that everything is in place to make an employees return to their daily duties as seamless as possible. This includes planning with management a list of revised work duties to ease the employee back into their role. They will also be responsible for informing the employee of any process changes and their safety implications. When the employee returns to work, they will be responsible for getting a clearer idea of any further accommodations that need to be made to ensure the employee can work safely and effectively while they get back into their daily work routine.

Understanding of Return to Work Processes

A successful Return to Work Coordinator needs to be able to understand the general process for transitioning an injured employee back into their role in the organization. They need to be the liaison between the employee and management, have a predetermined list of employee accommodations to make to ease their transition, have a full understanding of the rights the injured employee has when they return to work, and be able to provide their full support to both the employee and management during the initial days after the injured employee has resumed work. They must also remain flexible as the situation and needs of the employee can differ from case to case, meaning that a return to work plan for one employee can end up being much different than a plan for another employee.

Managing Stakeholders

There are often times where the two sides (employee and management) are at odds with each other regarding the return to work process. A successful Return to Work Coordinator can avoid this in many cases by having a solid plan in place that has the agreement of both parties before the employee returns to work. Getting to this point will take work and managing the expectations of both the employee and management. It’s a matter of finding a delicate balance between what the employee is capable of doing and meeting the needs of management in terms of productivity. Managing stakeholders in this type of role doesn’t end once the employee is back at work. Sometimes either the employee discovers new issues which they would like accommodations for, or management may begin asking more of the returning employee if they feel that they are capable which can possibly cause some friction. It is important for a Return to Work Coordinator to keep things on track so that the employee can get back to their original pre-injury job duties as quickly as possible.

Comply With Regulations

It is absolutely crucial for a Return to Work Coordinator to comply with provincial and federal occupational health & safety regulations at all times. This will impact creating return to work plans for employees, and how they handle situations that arise after they have returned. They must maintain confidentiality of the employee’s private information, and ensure that the return to work plan will pass a safety inspection from the Chief Prevention Officer.

Return to Work Planning Help From ACT

A safe work place is crucial and ensuring that you have the right safety procedures and policies for all aspects of getting injured employees back to work is a large part of having a safe workplace overall. Since Advanced Consulting and Training Ltd.’s founding, their diverse team of certified health and safety professionals have taken great pride in their ability to deliver prompt, cost-effective and relevant workplace health and safety solutions and training. As a CPO approved, TSSA accredited, and WSIB approved provider, we look forward to discussing how ACT can help with your company’s safety requirements. Contact us today.