The Return to Work program supports employees returning from both occupational (work-related) and non-occupational (not work-related) injuries and illnesses. The goal of RTW is to help injured or ill employees return to work when they are medically able, with or without restrictions, and to their original assignment as soon as they can safely. Please contact us at RTW@ur.rochester.edu<\/a>\u00a0 for more information. Employees returning to work with a reduced hours schedule should be aware that they must return to at least one-half of their normally scheduled work hours. For example, 40 hour per week employees must return to at least 20 hours a week to be considered for the RTW program.<\/p>\n If an employee requires restrictions (physical or reduced hours scheduling) in order to return to work, temporary, modified, transitional assignment opportunities may be made available to assist with a safe return to the workforce.<\/p>\n For a program overview, see the RTW program quick reference guide<\/a> or this downloadable RTW overview document<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Return to Work Program is led by a Registered Professional Nurse with advanced training and certifications in Occupational Health, Case Management, Hearing Conservation and Ergonomics. This expertise allows the department to work as an advocate for employees while they navigate the complicated service systems that may be associated with Workers\u2019 Compensation, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Leave of Absences.<\/p>\n Mary Ann Rall, RN, COHN-S\/CM, COHC<\/strong> Maryann.rall@rochester.edu<\/a> or RTW@ur.rochester.edu<\/a> Krista Cordwell, RN<\/strong> Stefanie Lauth<\/strong> The employee must provide written documentation or a completed work accommodation form<\/a> from their treating physician documenting their current capabilities, with a start date, estimated end date, and written progression plan for reduced hours or how the employee\u2019s physical capabilities will be increased over time to reach the final goal of regular duty.<\/p>\n The RTW team will communicate with the employee, treating provider, department, the third party administrators (insurance carriers for Workers\u2019 Compensation, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability.) The employee must provide written documentation or a completed Work Accommodation Form<\/strong> from their treating physician documenting their current capabilities, with a start date, estimated end date, and written progression plan for reduced hours or how the employee\u2019s physical capabilities will be increased over time to reach the final goal of regular duty. Return to work notes that do not contain all the required information will delay the employee\u2019s return to work plan. The RTW team will also work closely with the University Intercessor and Office of General Counsel, as needed, to ensure that the employee\u2019s return follows all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, and Workers\u2019 Compensation guidelines. Medical notes should be emailed to RTW@ur.rochester.edu or faxed to (585) 235-6703 immediately following the appointment at which the note was written.\u00a0 Medical information should not be shared with the employee\u2019s department\/supervisor. Only information that will be shared with the home department will consist of the RTW date, any restrictions and the duration of the restrictions.<\/p>\n Print the work accommodation form<\/a><\/p>\n The University will strive to provide a restricted duty or transitional assignment, if possible, for up to 90 calendar days<\/strong>, which is a nationally recognized return to work guideline. Many employees will require many less days to successfully return to their original assignment. Each employee will be evaluated every 30 days to determine if they have been medically cleared by their treating provider to return to their job or if they are progressing towards the goal of returning to their job within the estimated guideline.<\/p>\n At or near the 90 day mark, each employee will be reviewed to determine the need for an extension of the transitional assignment for an additional 30 days. Extensions to the 90-day timeframe are made on a case by case basis. If it appears that the need for restrictions may be ongoing, the employee will need to work with his\/her physician to complete the Request for Disability Accommodations Form<\/strong>. The University will review the completed request form and will require the employee\u2019s participation in the interactive process with the Human Resources Business Partner covering the home department, the University Intercessor \u2013 Director of Disability Compliance, their supervisor\/manager, and a representative of the RTW program to determine what may be a reasonable accommodation. The completed Disability Accommodation Form should be faxed to (585) 235-6703 or emailed directly to RTW@ur.rochester.edu<\/a>. These forms should not be given to department\/supervisor.<\/p>\n If it appears that the need for restrictions may go be ongoing, employees will need to work with their physician to complete the request for disability accommodations form.<\/a> The University will review the completed request form and will determine what may be a reasonable accommodation.<\/p>\n Print the disability accommodations form<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What is RTW? The Return to Work program supports employees returning from both occupational (work-related) and non-occupational (not work-related) injuries and illnesses. The goal of RTW is to help injured…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":8896,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/one-column.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15856","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"About us<\/h2>\n
\nCertified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialist, Case Manager, Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist, Clinical Advisor\/Return to Work Program Administrator – Leave Administration<\/p>\n
\nPhone: (585) 276-5136<\/a>
\nFax: (585) 235-6703<\/a><\/p>\n
\nKrista is a Registered\u00a0 Professional Nurse with many years of experience in Intensive Care Nursing, Joint Replacement and Rehabilitation.\u00a0 Her background provides a solid foundation for the Return to Work department while assisting employees to successfully return to their occupations.<\/p>\n
\nStefanie comes to the Return to Work team with a robust knowledge of University policies and procedures, as well as leadership skills from her previous positions here at the University. Her expertise allows the Return to Work team to quickly assess a situation and determine next steps on the path to assisting employees to return to gainful employment.<\/p>\nGet help from RTW<\/h2>\n
Ongoing disability accommodations<\/h2>\n
Helpful resources<\/h2>\n
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