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Managers: Returning to Work


 

 

 

 

 

 

My employee has been released to return to work with restrictions. What does this mean?


Returning your employee back to work, even with restrictions, is perhaps the most significant way you can speed their full recovery. The work restrictions may relate to the number of hours your employee can work, the amount of weight he or she can lift, the length of time he or she can stand, and/or other physical limitations. These restrictions will require both you and your employee to have a good understanding of how the restrictions translate into your employee's day-to-day job responsibilities. For example, if your employee has a temporary 5 lb. lifting restriction, both you and your employee will need to know what portions of their job that he or she may not be able to do, whether this task is a key job responsibility, what task will they need assistance to complete, and whether there are alternative job responsibilities that your employee can pick up while others are picking up a portion of his or her job.


The Office of Risk Management is available to speak with you and your employee about their work restriction and the anticipated duration of those restrictions. In addition, the Office of Risk Management will work with you in evaluating the physical demands of your employee's job and in brainstorming alternative ways to safely perform many job responsibilities.


Ultimately, it is up to you as to whether you can comply your employee's restrictions. If you determine that you cannot comply with your employee's restrictions then we will strive to find work within another area. If we cannot find work in any department at the university, the employee will remain at home until such time as their treating physician releases them back to work.

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I can't comply with my employee's temporary work restrictions. What happens?


Southern Methodist University strives to find work within your department to comply with temporary restrictions. Should your department not have any work, then every effort will be made to find work at the University that allows your employee to be production but remain within their restrictions. Please speak with the Risk Management Specialist for more details about this program.

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