Transcript Presentation Title

The WSIB’s Work Reintegration
Program
Safety Group Sponsor Meeting
September 9, 2011
Louise Humphreys, Manager, Work Reintegration Program Development
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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The Legislative Mandate of the WSIB
■ The WSIB operates within a defined legislative mandate. That
mandate is comprised of four key elements, which can be
summarised as follows:
– To promote health and safety in workplaces
– To facilitate the return to work and recovery of workers
– To facilitate the re-entry into the labour force of workers
and spouses of deceased workers
– To provide compensation and other benefits
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Case for Change
■
Duration increased at every window for several years
■
The number and level of locked-in loss of earnings (i.e. payable to age 65) awards was rising
■
The WSIB’s Return to Work (RTW) and Labour Market Re-entry (LMR) programs had limited success
with overall poor employment outcomes for injured workers
■
Injured workers concerned about “retraining for jobs that don’t exist”
■
Employers concerned about escalating costs
■
Too many injured workers not being re-employed with injury employer and the cost of LMR was
transferred to the Unfunded Liability (UFL):
- 77% of workers in LMR had re-employment rights but did not RTW with the injury
employer
- 48% of LMR cases had SIEF relief, at an average of 66%
- most workers enter LMR just before or after the experience rating window closes
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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KPMG - Value for Money Audit Recommendations 2010
1.
Integrated Work Re-integration Model
2.
Employer Accountability
3.
Cost Management
4.
Service Quality
5.
Worker Input and Choice
6.
Complaint Management
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Leading Practices in Work Reintegration
■ Focus on “ability” rather than “disability”
■ Employer accountability for work reintegration
■ Worker centric work reintegration principles and
approaches
■ Worker self-determination
■ Incentive programs for employers to retain or hire
injured workers
■ Benefit schemes that remove long-term benefit
dependency
■ Enhanced case management approach
■ Professionalization of staff responsible for work
reintegration service to injured workers
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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The New Work Reintegration Program
■ The Vision - Reintegration to decent and safe employment
■ The Goal - Employment. Workers need and want jobs, as
opposed to being employable, but with poor prospects for
employment
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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The New Work Reintegration Program
■ The Program Principles
1. Maintain the employment relationship, wherever possible, between
the worker and the injury employer, all parties have a shared
obligation.
2. Reintegrate workers into decent and safe work, maintaining the
dignity of the worker.
3. Provide effective and meaningful input and choice on the part of the
worker,
4. Maintain high standards for services provided by WSIB staff,
contracted parties, to ensure effective, quality services that achieve
desired employment outcomes.
5. Manage the costs of the program
6. Ensure workers are fairly compensated for wage loss, recognizing the
difference between pre-injury earnings and post-injury earning ability.
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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New and Improved Features
■ Early intervention in RTW (no later than 12 weeks) and work transition (no
later than 6- 9 months)
■ Retraining to remain with injury employer
■ Active engagement of injury employer
■ More explicit accommodation requirements arising from Workplace Safety
and Insurance Act (WSIA) and Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC)
■ Penalties for employer non-cooperation
■ More pathways for workers
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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New and Improved Features
■ Increased worker input and choice
■ Program time limits
■ Recognition that part-time employment may be the best option
■ Relocation assistance
■ Employment placement and retention support services
■ Expanded Experience Rating window (3
4 years)
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Roles within WR Program
■ Case Manager
– Set RTW and recovery goals and plan return to work
in collaboration with the workplace parties, complete
with dates, milestones, and best outcomes required to
achieve RTW and recovery
– Co-ordinate and take action on planned activities and
timely interventions and ensure workplace parties are
well informed about what is happening, who is
accountable, and what to expect
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Roles within WR Program
■ Return to Work Specialist
– Facilitate return to work in the workplace setting with
the workplace parties (WPP).
– Educate WPP on return to work principles and best
practices, the rights and obligations under the
Workplace Safety & Insurance Act and relevant
policies
– Identify RTW barriers and opportunities , and
formulate a RTW plan leading to a positive RTW
outcome
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Roles within WR Program
■ Work Transition Specialist (New)
– Provide expert advice, direction, vocational rehabilitation counselling
and support workers and employers to coordinate the work transition
process
– Identify appropriate and realistic work transition options for workers,
such as direct job entry or skills training, part-time employment,
training on the job or direct job placement assistance
■ Employer Liaison Specialist (Refocused)
– Promote Disability Management and Return to Work (RTW) by
assisting employers on site to develop successful RTW programsI
– Develop relationships with employers to assist them in understanding
and utilizing the services of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
(WSIB)
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Work Reintegration
Touch-points
DOI
CM
addresses
RTW
barriers
RTWS
meeting @
no later than
12wks
ELS assist with
RTW Program
Development,
as needed
Initial
meeting
between
worker, CM
& WTS –
between
6-9 months
WTS
meeting @
workplace
with WPPs
Vocational
Assessment
completed, if
needed
CM = Case Manager
ELS = Employer Liaison Specialist
WPPs = Workplace Parties
Vocational
Assessment
discussed
with WPPs
WT Plan
approved
– no later
than 1yr
Adjust and
amend WT
plan, as
required
WT plan
closure and
RTW
outcomes
communicated
WTS = Work Transition Specialist
RTWS = Return-to-Work Specialist
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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WR Program Quantitative Benefits
1. Early Intervention
2. Reduced Volumes
3. Older Worker Pathway
■ Reduced average referral time
from 21mths for LMR to 9mths
for Work Transition = 12mths
LOE
■ Alignment of incentive programs
■ WSIB active support in workplace
to locate suitable work = LOE
■ Increased usage of statutory
lock-in for workers over 55yrs+
= LOE
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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WR Program Quantitative Benefits
4. Time limits for
retraining
■ Reduces average program length
by one month = 1mth LOE
5. Provider Fees
■ Fixed fees for next 2-4 years =
cost control
6. Annual Operating
Costs
■ Elimination of Primary Service
Providers = operating costs
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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WR Model Qualitative Benefits
■ Better integration with case management; increased
agility to respond to performance trends
■ Significant reduction in perverse influence of profit
motivation on program behaviour
■ Increased simplicity of communication and coordination of services between WSIB and workers
■ Increased clarity of accountability
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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WR Model Qualitative Benefits
■ Greater assurance of workers getting the service
they need when they need it
■ Significantly improved quality of education and
training, giving workers credible credentials to seek
employment
■ Provides for workers to have more self
determination in vocational choices
■ Increased consistency of services provided in
similar circumstances
■ Improved management of expectations and
provides for a reasonable level of investment within
clear cost parameters
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Performance Measurement & Evaluation Framework
■ The Work Reintegration Performance Measurement &
Evaluation Framework is intended to:
 Define program success
 Identify key performance indicators that will guide and
inform Management decisions for the continuous
improvement of the Program
 Identify performance measures to ensure the Program
activities or strategies in place are achieving the intended
results or outcomes
 Ensure transparency and accountability to WSIB
stakeholders for program performance.
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Performance Evaluation Framework
Quality Programs
Effective (correct, complete, results-oriented)
Efficient (timely and streamlined processes and
services)
Credible
Individualized
Responsive
Integrated (activities/services)
Cost
Effectiveness
Demonstrated value for
money
Managed costs
(accountability)
Expenditures within forecast
Customer
Service
Perceived program value
Timeliness of service and decisions
Responsiveness to issues e.g.
complaints
Achieved outcomes/quality
Transparency
Fairness
Ongoing engagement and
communication
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Questions
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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