| Vocational rehabilitation refers to programs that seek | | | | supply of workers with disabilities there are many |
| to return disabled or injured individuals to their optimal | | | | benefits to the employer. |
| physical, mental, social, vocational, and economic ability. | | | | Technological innovations have further promoted |
| In a legal sense, vocational rehabilitation is a workers' | | | | placement of rehabilitated employees. There are many |
| compensation benefit, which involves programs | | | | devices and tools that can ease the transition to work, |
| designed to help workers who have become | | | | including voice synthesizers, adapters for people with |
| physically or mentally disabled and who can no longer | | | | impaired mobility, and voice-activated computers. |
| hold the same jobs they had prior to their disabilities. | | | | Disabled workers are not typically expensive or difficult |
| There are many cases in which Gerard Malouf and | | | | to accommodate and due to the great number of |
| Partners have dealt with assisting the individual worker | | | | potential candidates it is quite easy to find suitable |
| to retain their current role with reduced/restricted | | | | candidates. |
| duties and allow for return to work plans so that they | | | | In addition to the potential bottom-line benefits of |
| may return back to the role that they were involved | | | | vocational rehabilitation, such programs can promote |
| with prior to the injury. | | | | positive employee relations. Communicating the |
| The purpose of vocational rehabilitation programs is to | | | | benefits of the program, keeping in contact with |
| aid the disabled in receiving training for new | | | | workers on disability leave, and establishing light- and |
| occupations, locating jobs, retaining jobs, and building | | | | alternate-duty occupations can help show all |
| permanent careers. | | | | employees that they are valued contributors to a |
| The Occupational Health and Safety Act (NSW) | | | | business. |
| requires that employers comply with all occupational | | | | By keeping employees in light duties working at their |
| health, safety, workers' compensation, injury | | | | place of employment also affects the workers |
| management and rehabilitation obligations. The Act | | | | compensation premium and allows the worker to feel |
| enforces a general duty of care on employers to: | | | | safe and when they are prepared can return to full |
| - provide and maintain safe systems of work | | | | duties. |
| - make arrangements for ensuring the safe use, | | | | By providing an individualised written rehabilitation |
| handling, storage of equipment and substances, and | | | | program, counselling and guidance, physical and mental |
| - provide necessary information, instruction, training and | | | | restoration, training, job placement, and |
| supervision. | | | | postemployment services can allow employees to |
| The Workplace Injury Management and Workers | | | | return to similar or new pre-injury duties. |
| Compensation Act (NSW) established a system for | | | | Counselling and guidance are ongoing aspects of |
| the management of work-related injuries of | | | | vocational rehabilitation. Physical and mental restoration |
| employees in NSW. The Act requires amongst other | | | | works to alleviate the physical or mental conditions that |
| things that every employer to: | | | | impede a client's fullest potential functioning. This step |
| - take out and maintain a workers' compensation | | | | may include medical, physical, therapeutic treatment, |
| insurance policy covering all of their workers | | | | occupational or communication therapy; and psychiatry. |
| - notify the insurer of significant injuries within 48 hours | | | | Service providers are required to have a planned and |
| - send injured workers' compensation claims to the | | | | systematic approach to OHS&R management. |
| insurer within seven days | | | | Vocational training relates to the development of |
| - comply with the injury management plan developed | | | | specific job skills, usually at TAFE or community |
| by the insurer, and assist injured workers to return to | | | | colleges and universities, rehabilitation facilities, sheltered |
| work safely at the earliest time following a workplace | | | | workshops, and apprenticeship programs, or on the |
| injury. | | | | job. |
| The Act requires employees to: | | | | Job placement often entails cooperation between the |
| - take reasonable care for the health and safety of | | | | vocational rehabilitation agency and the potential |
| persons at their place of work, and those who may be | | | | employer, including modification of a job and/or the |
| affected by their acts or omissions at work | | | | work environment. |
| - cooperate with any requirement imposed in the | | | | Placement is not the end of the vocational rehabilitation |
| interests of health, safety and welfare by the | | | | road. Some clients require post-employment services |
| employer or any other person who is authorised to do | | | | such as continued counselling, supplementary training, |
| so under the Act(s) | | | | health services, assistance with transportation, or other |
| - tell their employer of any injury as soon as possible | | | | rehabilitation services. |
| - attend medical and rehabilitation assessments | | | | Vocational Rehabilitation is in itself a practical and |
| - provide accurate information about any aspect of | | | | positive process with benefits to all users of the |
| their workers' compensation claim, and | | | | system. To ensure that employers comply with the |
| - be actively involved in their return to work plan. | | | | law and the rights of the individual are upheld. Gerard |
| The role of service providers | | | | Malouf and Partners ensure these rights are enforced |
| Service providers are responsible for the management | | | | and the employer does not try and undercut the rights |
| of vocational rehabilitation services to companies | | | | of the injured worker. |
| who's role it is to provide a planned and systematic | | | | In conclusion there are many benefits both to the |
| approach to OHS Management and understand the | | | | employer and to the employee for Vocational |
| needs of the organisation and the employee. | | | | Programs or as primarily known return to work |
| It is important that an OHS management system or | | | | programs. In NSW there is legislation in place for |
| plan is fully documented and clearly communicated to | | | | companies of various sizes require a return to work |
| people in the organisation. It should cover the way | | | | coordinator who responsibility to provide services to |
| everyone is expected to work safely, the way that | | | | employees who have been injured at work. Often |
| the enterprise will ensure its workers and service | | | | rehabilitation programs are run by the Human |
| providers work safely and the way they intend to | | | | Resources department of a company who are familiar |
| improve their practices over time. This will also entail | | | | with the employees and their needs. |
| defining roles, duties and responsibilities so that | | | | Benefits to employees include a consistent plan of |
| everyone knows what they have to do, when and in | | | | returning to work, developing a sense of worth and |
| what circumstances. | | | | purpose and value to the organisation which builds a |
| Benefits of Rehabilitation | | | | company reputation. This is made possible through the |
| There are many reason and benefits for the | | | | use of treatment providers and counsellors who |
| application of vocational rehabilitation. Vocational | | | | remain in contact with the injured employee to help |
| rehabilitation has existed as a tool for both cost | | | | them return to work. |
| reduction and empowerment. By re-training employees | | | | There are financial benefits to employers to retain |
| to fit into the organisation can be a benefit for the | | | | staff and return them back to work in an appropriate |
| employee and for the employer. | | | | period of time dependant on their injuries. |
| There are social advantages of vocationally | | | | Sometimes it is not possible to return to pre-injury |
| rehabilitating employees who have physical or mental | | | | duties and through proper communications and effort it |
| impairments as this promotes a good-will within the | | | | is possible to re-train or re-organise a role so that an |
| company and no feelings of angst and dislike. | | | | employee can return to work on light duties or |
| The cost of hiring a new employee is far greater than | | | | different role within the organisation. If it is not possible |
| just a salary, there are other costs of ensuring that | | | | to return to the same organisation, steps can be made |
| processes are understood and there a large gap in the | | | | to place the employee in vocational training programs |
| time where the position may remain unfilled as well as | | | | through university or technical colleges as to develop a |
| opportunity costs of not having the work completed in | | | | new skill or ability. |
| a timely manner. | | | | By assisting the employee into future employment can |
| Vocational rehabilitation can help solve other workplace | | | | reduce insurance payments as well as make full use |
| dilemmas as well. Rehabilitation can be a solution to | | | | of the available resources to the company especially in |
| problems of high employee turnover and a dwindling | | | | times of tight labour markets. |
| labour market. By tapping into the largely neglected | | | | |