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Results

Managers are generally aware of the injury management process but may not always fully commit to the function (especially if other things come up to distract them). There is an understanding of the management role in the system but they do not always participate.

The return to work coordinator may also have another position and when time is limited for the return to work function it can be put to the side in favour of the substantive role. This can send a message to workers that management of their injuries is not important to the business.

Some managers may feel that managing the return to work of their direct reports is not their job and this can lead to poor return to work outcomes as well as other cultural issues.

Next steps

1. Make sure your managers and staff are completely clear with their role in recovery and return to work. This can be accomplished by training (or re-training), regular updates at team meetings or other initiatives promoting injury management.
2. Make sure senior managers are always involved in activities or meetings to make it clear that injury management is important to the business.
3. Make sure your return to work coordinator has enough time to properly perform the role. This will vary from business to business but in general the coordinator themselves will be able to let you know if they have enough time. You can also check your injury statistics and speak to your managers and workers about their experiences with the system.
4. Encourage managers to “walk the talk” and assist them with any concerns. Make sure that you do not simply take away responsibility but rather help the managers to fulfil their role though extra training or other assistance. The return to work coordinator can assist with this.

Results

You have a consultative mechanism in place but it may be incomplete or undocumented. You may inform your staff of new processes but this is done informally and you do not have a formal mechanism in place to receive and consider feedback. Even if you do engage your staff, without formal documentation it is difficult to ensure that all required consultation occurs and that the process is consistent and fair.

Whilst you do involve staff in major decisions you may not consult in other aspects of your business or provide a forum for regular feedback. You may not let people know that you do consider their feedback resulting in a lower level of engagement. This can be remedied by providing information on what has been received and giving feedback on the process.

In the case of the injury management process it is important that workers and managers are fully involved in the return to work process and that decisions are made considering all parties views. Above all the process must be transparent and fair to all parties.

Next steps

1. Make sure that you introduce a clear and simple consultation procedure based on the principles of transparency and inclusion. If you do not have a formal procedure in place you may not always consult when you should and having a procedure shows that you have a consistent and fair process in place. It also allows you to properly measure the effectiveness of your consultative process.
2. Ensure that employees are consulted about any decision or change that may affect them. This includes involvement in the injury management and return to work process.
3. Make sure your employees know that you consider and value their opinions. This can be done via team meetings, notices or other communications that show what feedback/suggestions have been made and what consideration has been given to them. You may consider formal recognition of particularly good feedback or suggestion.
4. Integrate injury management consultation into your existing consultation procedures/practices.

Results

Your workforce has all of the training requirements met and you keep excellent records of all skills, knowledge and training for the workforce. You regularly review the training needs for the workforce and your induction program covers all required policies and behavioural requirements.

Next steps

1. Regularly review your system to ensure its currency and effectiveness
2. Regularly interrogate the system to ensure that what is being trained is what is being done (i.e. are workers doing what they have been trained to do?)

Results

You have a good understanding of early intervention and injury management. Your system deals with most circumstances well but there may be a few aspects of your process that could be improved. This can be due to a lack of training or understanding by staff, limited or restricted resources or time or because of the structure and nature of your business.

Next steps

1. Consider your business structure and how it operates. Make sure that responsibility for early intervention and return to work is given to those that are in the best position to do it.
2. Train and educate all staff in the process and emphasise your commitment to injury management through provision of resources and training.
3. Make sure your process is transparent and workers are involved in their own return to work and claim.
4. Where it is practical to do so develop a relationship with a nearby clinic. Invite doctors to meet you and tour the worksite. This will assist in identification of duties and will reduce the instance of time lost due to doctors being unaware of what workers do.

Results

You have a successful and embedded early intervention and return to work system. You have an effective document control system in place. You set goals, targets and KPIs and regularly report on and review them. You have a formal system of internal audit and you properly analyse trends and performance. You maintain detailed records and utilise corrective action plans to address required activity.

Next steps

1. Regularly review your system to ensure its currency and effectiveness.
2. Regularly interrogate the system to ensure that what you want done is being done (i.e. are we doing what we say we will do and if not why not?).