<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="65001"%> University of California Office of the President - Workers' Compensation

UCOP HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

RETURN TO WORK SHORT-TERM “TEMPORARY” DISABILITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Responsible Office: Employee-Labor Relations and
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Effective, November 2003
  41 Vacation
  42 Sick Leave
  43 Leave of Absence
  44 Work Incurred Illness and Injury
A. Background

Effective management of health-related employee absences minimizes workforce disruption, employee productivity, and various costs associated with disabilities. The UCOP Return to Work “Temporary” Disability Management Program utilizes the campus' financial and human resources in the most effective manner by ensuring that employees who have an illness or injury are returned to their jobs as early as medically feasible.

Early intervention, such as the identification of temporary modified work options, is likely to decrease the employee's time off from work and provides positive reinforcement of the employee's effort toward recovery and return to a productive work life.

B. Employee’s Responsibilities

  1. Providing their supervisor with initial and ongoing status of their capability to work, including documentation from their treating physician about physical and/or mental restrictions, medical restrictions, approximate time off needed and anticipated return to work date.
  2. Discussing work-related information on the medical status form with direct supervisor.
  3. Obtaining additional information, as necessary, about medical restrictions from the treating or consulting physician.
  4. Consulting his/her supervisor, Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation and Benefits Services regarding return to work modified duty and/or accommodation issues.
  5. Consulting Benefits Services at http://www.ucop.edu/humres/benoffice.html regarding potential benefits issues such as eligibility for the University’s Partial Disability: Stay at Work/Return to Work Program and workers’ compensation extended sick leave (ESL) benefits.
  6. In the event of a work incurred injury, accepting a temporary work assignment when a modified/light alternate job assignment is found. Temporary disability benefits cease if an offered assignment is turned down without good cause, e.g., not interested in the duties of the assignment.

C. Regularly Assigned Supervisor’s Responsibilities

All supervisory personnel are responsible for ensuring that eligible employees are provided a Return to Work Plan in coordination and consultation with Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation Services as follows:

  1. Work consistent with temporary medical restrictions will be assigned within the employee's department for up to ninety (90) calendar days. If, at the end of this period, the employee’s recovery from disability has not progressed or the health care provider is unable to release the employee to his/her regularly assigned duties and/or work schedule, the employee “may” be taken off from work until such time as the employee is sufficiently recovered to resume the full scope of the job as originally defined. At the University's discretion, the ninety (90) calendar day time period may be extended in consultation and coordination with Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
  2. In the event of a work incurred injury, when a department cannot provide employment compatible with the temporary work restrictions, an employee will be reassigned to another department for a period of up to ninety (90) calendar days. The salary for the temporary assignment in another department will be borne by the employee's home department. Extension of the ninety (90) calendar day temporary assignment in another department is at the discretion of the University.
In addition, an employee’s regularly assigned supervisor is responsible for the following:
  1. Defining physical and mental requirements and essential job functions of the employee's position.
  2. Providing temporary modified/light duty within the department upon receipt of the employee's work restrictions or documenting the reasons why temporary modified/light duty is not available in coordination and consultation with Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
  3. Notifying Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation and Benefits Services immediately of any employee medical restrictions, extensions of leave, change in the employee’s return to work status or any other employee and labor issues that may be pertinent to the case.
  4. Notifying Benefits Services, departmental personnel assistants/employee database (EDB) preparers and reviewers, and payroll time reporting (PTR) preparers of the employee’s return to work, changes in the employee’s status, reduced work schedule, etc.
  5. In the event of a work incurred injury, the department will be responsible for paying for the employee's salary while in a temporary modified/light alternate work assignment in another department. This applies when the home department is unable to provide modified work.

D. Alternative Department Supervisory Responsibilities

  1. Ensuring that the work provided is consistent with the specified restrictions.


  2. Notifying the employee’s home department and Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation and Benefits Services of any changes in the employee's work status and all other pertinent information.

E. Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation Responsibilities

  1. Providing return to work services, including short-term “temporary” modified duty and long-term “permanent” reasonable accommodation, to active UCOP disabled employees at all levels of the organization. Such services may include, but are not limited to, vocational counseling, resource referrals, forms completion, conducting ergonomic work station evaluations; reviewing and analyzing job functions; etc.
  2. Review of all proposed medical separation requests in accordance with applicable policies, collective bargaining agreements, and statutory guidelines, as appropriate.
  3. Coordination of any and all other employee and labor relations issues that may be pertinent to the case.

F. Program Considerations

  1. If an employee, exempt or non-exempt, is released to return to work on a reduced work schedule, e.g., four hours per day, wages will be paid for the hours worked and the employee may be entitled to additional income under the University’s short or long-term disability benefits programs. Please contact UCOP Benefits Services for additional information.
  2. At the end of the maximum period, the supervisor/manager, in consultation with Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation Services, will evaluate the employee's capacity for continued work. Further employment options will be determined at the University's discretion.
  3. No temporary work assignment described or covered under these guidelines is intended or offered as a permanent assignment.

For further assistance please contact Employee-Labor Relations and Vocational Rehabilitation Services as follows:

Notice: Please refer to current University policies, procedures, statutory guidelines, and applicable collective bargaining agreements which shall supersede any and all information contained in this document or elsewhere on this site.