Return to Work Assignment- Written essay

Part I – Introduction

Overview of the company

XYZ Enterprises operates in the environmental services industry. The company has offices in Canada, and at present, it employs nearly 2500 staff. The staff are employed in various roles, including field staff, office staff and laboratory staff.

The worker situation

The workers are assigned particular areas, and they mainly work in field positions. It implies that workers need to drive under harsh conditions and often carrying a loads or equipment of about 23 kilograms. The workers in the laboratory positions work with chemicals and use equipment and chemicals. Similarly, the workers employed in offices include the customer service representatives and other support staff. They work with computers and mobile devices.

Laws and Acts applicable to the company

In the given workplace situation, the Occupational Health and Safety Act is applicable. The purpose of establishing the Act is to ensure workplace safety and health (Wright et al., 2019). The other legislation applicable in this case is the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act or WSIA. It mainly deals with preventive ways of disease and injury under the Human Rights Code. Under hazardous work conditions, as noted in the case of XYZ enterprise, the laws are enforceable.

Part II – Disability Management –

Refer to template

Part III – Return to Work Plan

As an RTW coordinator or HR practitioner, the following recommendation has been given-

1. Workers in the XYZ enterprise have been categorized into three types. These are field-position based employees, laboratory position-based employees and office position-based employees. The company covers safety-sensitive positions and employees are trained as soon as they join the firm. However, during the tailgate meetings, supervisors do not discuss the important issues. Moreover, the injured workers are unable to work because modified work is not offered to them formally. The RTW procedure is not formal, and it leads to a confusing work environment. The injured employees experience negative issues and are often confused regarding their roles and responsibilities.

It would be necessary to use modification strategies so that the safety concerns of the employees can be addressed. Safety should be at the core of the company. The medication strategies have been outlined below-

Accountability- The XYZ management should show confidence and prioritize the way people work in the firm. The workplace should be accountable because it can help achieve measurable goals, and everyone can pay attention to the incidents and sudden injuries that occur in the workplace.

Engagement- Safety procedures should be maintained in such a way that workers feel engaged. They will gain an opportunity to discuss issues and ensure the effectiveness of the workplace. Monthly meetings would be effective, as well. It will lead to the creation of influential workplace safety culture (Hofmann, Burke & Zohar, 2017).

Recognition- Employees at the XYZ enterprise should feel motivated to work and feel that they have achieved their goals and made an impact in the workplace. Public recognition plays a vital role, and the management is responsible for raising the importance of recognition in the workplace.

Appreciation- The employees need to feel appreciated for their efforts and workers must be appreciated for meeting a sales target or production (Ohcow.on.ca, 2020). The appreciation efforts of the management would help people feel impactful. The senior managers at the XYZ enterprise can conduct monthly meetings to thank or congratulate employees for their consistent efforts. This, in turn, would illustrate the commitment of the company towards employee safety and wellbeing.

1. In the modified work position, office workers who work all day in front of the computer should be trained to avoid workplace injury. Work pressure should be gradual with consistent work trials and the nature of work should be light. This is in accordance with physical demands analysis or PDA, whereas a systematic procedure exists between the job requirements and the worker (ca, 2020). It would be effective to form partnerships with the occupational clinicians. They can provide relevant insights and valuable guidelines regarding the ways of preventing workplace injury. Similarly, the workers employed in field positions should be trained to handle equipments safely. Notably, in fields, it is vital to communicate using important communication signs and signals so that they can save themselves from hazards. Lastly, the workers in the laboratories should be trained to inspect the chemicals before using them. Cleanliness should be maintained, and this, in turn, would reduce machine malfunctions. Lastly, the implementation of safety protocols in the lab would ensure complete protection. The physical therapists can assess these physical demands and create a functional workplace.
2. Stakeholders are directly engaged with XYZ enterprise, and they should maintain constant contact so that employees feel safe after returning to work. As observed in the case of Anna Smith, she was unable to concentrate on work after her mother’s demise, and despite taking breaks, her comeback period was filled with disturbances and conflict. The stakeholders include worker, employer, healthcare provider, union, insurance provider and the Disability Management company. Effective communication should take place among each of these parties. The worker recovering from an injury requires the guidance of HR or immediate supervisor. The supervisor can guide the worker to attend a session of the healthcare provider. Thereafter, the healthcare provider can recommend the injured worker to talk to the insurance provider, who will outline the different health benefits of the insurance policy (Russell & Kosny, 2019). Lastly, the Disability Management Company should be responsible for looking after the safe return of the worker. The company mainly manages the RTW.
3. The common barriers to RTW include an administrative barrier, stigma and lastly, psychosocial factors. For instance, paperwork or communication barriers might exist due to excess workload. Similarly, disability management programs can be stigmatized in the workplace and employees might feel resentment due to the unsupportive behaviour of co-workers. Lastly, psychosocial factors include work-related stress and employees might find ways not to return to work (Samra, 2017). The issues can be mitigated by reducing the workload from the workers and highlighting the urgency of the disability management program in the workplace. Awareness regarding the importance of the program is necessary. Lastly, stress related to job and work pressure can be mitigated by identifying the reason behind the stress. This duty can be fulfilled by the OH&S expert. Monthly or weekly sessions with the expert can reduce the stress levels of the employees.
4. The case scenario of Anna Smith can be considered in this case. Anna has been unable to cope with the demise of her mother and lost focus on work. Even after returning from a long break, her performance has not improved. She does not take up new challenges at the workplace and struggling to keep up with the demands of the job. She does not have any history of performance issues because she was a good worker and has been employed for five years. Anna’s case suggests that she has been undergoing psychosocial stress, and the likelihood of the stress coming back is high. Her supervisor was sympathetic towards her, and after filing an STD claim, she also received a 16 week disability period. Nevertheless, her performance has not improved after returning to work.

Part IV – Summary

After analyzing Anna Smith’s case, it has been understood that the disability management program has not been beneficial for Anna. She consistently failed to renew her work performance even after making an STD claim and working for a few hours after returning to work. While dealing with customers, she is showing disinterest and lacks the previous zeal. Consequently, complaints regarding the work performance of Anna have been increasing in the workplace. Anna shows anti-social behaviour and always seems withdrawn from the group. She does not feel normal and unable to face workplace challenges. She is even showing disinterest in the workplace activities and agreeing to say nothing during an argument with another employee. Hence, her condition is clear, and she requires additional support in the form of a session or stress management program.

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