Applies to: University-wide
Approved by: Council
Definition
Occupational rehabilitation is about keeping injured workers at work
and/or returning injured workers back to the workplace as quickly and
safely as possible. Occupational rehabilitation restores an injured
worker’s social, functional, vocational, and productive well-being.
Workplace based rehabilitation ensures that workers get the best and
fastest assistance to return to work. Rehabilitation is compulsory
for both the employer and employee in the event that an injured
worker has a capacity for work.
1. Occupational Rehabilitation Program
1.1 The OHS Unit at the Human Resources Department is responsible for
preparing and updating the University’s Occupational Rehabilitation
Program.
2. Management responsibility
2.1 Injured workers will, where possible, be rehabilitated within their
own School/Department/Unit. Not every injured worker will need
rehabilitation, many are able to return to work after a short period
of recuperation.
2.2 When an injured worker is considered by the treating doctor to be
capable of returning to work on alternative duties, the Head of
School/Department/Unit is responsible for accommodating the injured
worker and finding suitable, meaningful tasks that are considered
within the injured worker's capabilities.
2.3 Where an employee’s injury prevents him/her from undertaking a
rehabilitation program within his/her own School/Department/Unit, the
University through Human Resources will provide alternative or
modified duties for the injured worker elsewhere within the
University, wherever possible.
3. Alternative duties
When an injured worker is capable of alternative duties, these duties
will be assessed through consultation between the WorkCover Co-ordinator,
the injured worker, the injured worker's treating doctor, a
rehabilitation provider (where appropriate), the injured worker's
Head of School/Department/Unit or a combination of all the above.
During such consultations the injured worker will be kept informed of
any decision reached as to the tasks to be performed by the injured
worker.
4. Vacant positions
4.1 It will be the responsibility of all Heads of
Schools/Departments/Units to notify the Director, Human Resources, of
vacant positions that are available or become available within their
own area of responsibility and also any tasks required to be
completed on a casual short-term basis.
4.2 A suitable vacancy will enable workers to return to the workplace
as quickly as possible. In the case of a long-term injury or an
injury that renders the worker incapable of returning to the job for
which he/she was originally employed retraining may be necessary.
4.3 When a vacant position is notified to Human Resources, the
Director, Human Resources shall determine whether the position would
be a suitable placement for the injured worker, in consultation with
the WorkCover Co-ordinator; and where
applicable, the rehabilitation provider. If the vacant position is
deemed suitable, the Director, Human Resources, and the WorkCover Co-ordinator
shall discuss placement of the injured worker in that position with
the Head of School/Department/Unit concerned. If the Director, Human
Resources, believes that after a rehabilitation program the injured
employee will be able to undertake the duties of the position and the
relevant Head of School/Department/Unit agrees, then the injured
employee may be offered that position, without advertisement or
interview. If the Head of the School/Department/Unit and Director,
Human Resources, cannot reach agreement, then the matter will be
referred to the Vice-Chancellor.
5. Job offers
Where alternative duties have been determined and a position is
available to the injured worker, the University will then, through
the Director, Human Resources, and the WorkCover Co-ordinator,
make a formal job offer to the injured worker setting out conditions
of employment and specifics of the position.
6. Alternative positions
An injured worker normally shall not be placed in a position of higher
classification than the one occupied before the injury. However,
should an injured worker have the necessary knowledge or have been
successfully retrained and be deemed competent to carry out all of
the tasks of a higher classification position, then he/she will be
eligible for the higher salary.
7. Employee responsibility
7.1 The injured worker will be required during the course of his/her
rehabilitation program to provide to the WorkCover Co-ordinator
valid WorkCover Certficate(s)
of Capacity for the period of rehabilitation. WorkCover certificates
are valid for a maximum of 28 days and should not be back-dated. The
injured worker must complete the worker’s declaration on the back
on the WorkCover certificate and
ensure his/her signature is witnessed. The section Guidelines For
Return To Work On Modified Duties should be completed by the injured
worker's treating doctor
7.2 If a worker refuses a reasonable offer of employment, benefits may
be stopped.
8. Reporting
The WorkCover Co-ordinator will, where
applicable, seek reports from the Human Resources Department and/or
the rehabilitation provider on the progress of the rehabilitation
program. A copy of the report may be forwarded to the injured
worker's Head of School/Department/Unit.
