This document provides an overview of developing return to work and health strategies. It discusses the importance of strategic workplace planning to support recovery and return to work. The presentation will cover the importance of such strategies, components of an effective strategy including goals, barriers identification, targeted actions, and monitoring, and developing a strategy through consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders involved in an injured employee's recovery.

1. An Overview of Developing Return
to Work & Health Strategies
Presenter: Jeanette Kinahan
Director, Work Health Systems
T: 0418 554 129
E: jeanette@workhealthsystems.com.au

2. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
Todays presentation will focus on return to work & health following injury
and/or illness and cover three key areas:
1. The importance of strategic workplace planning to support recovery and
return to work - overview
2. Components of a return to work and health strategy - overview
3. Developing a return to work and health strategy - overview

3. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
1. The importance of strategic workplace planning to support recovery and
return to work
While most injuries and illnesses resolve over time with the correct diagnosis
and treatment, a small percentage become chronic - with protracted recovery
time. In some instances, return to work can be problematic.
The development of a management strategy, or plan, is important for
minimising this risk.
Good work is good for us (Health Benefits of Good Work).

4. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
Understanding injury/illness ‘risk’ in the Australian population:
Workers Compensation Claims
• Physical Injury - $8,000 and 5 weeks lost time
• Mental Injury - $22,200 and 13.3 weeks lost time
• $10.9B - lost productivity
BUPA Benchmark Survey 2015 – Workplace Health in Australia
• Annual sick leave per FTE 6.2 days
• Annual carer leave per FTE 1.2 days
• Annual other leave (i.e. parental) per FTE 9.1 days
• Lost productivity due to presenteeism 16.7%
• Voluntary employee attrition rate 17.0%

5. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
Understanding injury/illness ‘risk’ in the Australian population cont.’:
Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW 2017)
• Two-thirds of the burden of disease in Australia is due to 5 disease groups:
cancer, cardiovascular diseases, mental and substance use disorders,
musculoskeletal conditions, and injuries.
• Nearly 1 in 5 Australians—that’s about 4.3 million people—have disability,
and around 1 in 3 of people with disability have severe or profound
limitation.

6. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
2. Components of a Return to Work & Health Strategy
A return to work and health strategy is basically an action plan that provides a
basis for managing, monitoring and responding to an injured /ill person’s
recovery, and their progress towards a return to work (and community).
The strategy should consist of four main components:
1. Goals and objectives
2. Barriers
3. Actions
4. Monitoring.

7. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
2.1. Goals and objectives
Knowledge of the likely prognosis, expected timeframes, recovery benchmarks and
standard treatment regimens for common injuries / illnesses will allow you to develop
realistic objectives/goals. It is important that you have access to medical information and
resources that you can refer to when developing your strategy.
Typically the strategy is designed to return an injured person to pre-injury or ‘suitable
employment’ in a safe, timely and sustainable manner.
Where a return to pre-injury duties is not achievable, the goal should be a sustainable
return to work at the injured /ill person’s maximum functional capacity.
In some instances, with serious or catastrophic injury or illness, the goal may be a return
to independence and the community instead of a return to work.

8. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
2.2. Barriers
For a RTW strategy to be effective, key issues and barriers need to be identified,
addressed and overcome.
The early and accurate identification of risk factors is crucial to enable you to
set targeted and appropriate actions or modify your strategy accordingly.
Risk factors can be classified according to the ‘biopsychosocial flags model’
which describes the factors that can impede recovery and independence.

9. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
Biological Red
Flags
 Serious pathology
 Co-morbidity
Psychosocial
Personal Factors
(injured person)
Yellow
Flags
 Unhelpful beliefs about pain/injury
 Unhelpful (e.g. avoidant) coping strategies (e.g. resting)
 Emotional distress
 Passive role in recovery
 Overly solicitous carer(s)
 Perceived low social support at work
 Perceived unpleasant work
 Low job satisfaction
 Perception of excessive demands
Environmental
Factors
(systemic)
Black
Flags
 Legislative criteria for compensation
 Nature of workplace (e.g. heavy work)
 Threats to financial security
The Biopsychosocial Flags Model (Main et al. 2008)

10. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
2.3. Actions
Actions should be targeted; with a clear purpose, reflecting the main
issues/barriers identified as risks to recovery.
The key to creating effective actions is ensuring that they are outcome focussed
and timely.
Setting outcome focused and timely actions will help ensure that new
information is available each time the strategy is reviewed, so that strategies
can be modified or adjusted to ensure continual progress is being made.

11. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
2.4. Monitoring
A strategy or plan will only be as effective as the commitment to monitor and
review it.
As time passes, treatment required and issues change and evolve, therefore
regular reviews of management strategies or plans is also necessary to address
these changes.
The formal processes for reviewing and monitoring will differ depending on
your organisation and jurisdiction, but it is important to also be proactive in
monitoring and reviewing whenever new information is received or changes in
circumstances arise.

12. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
3. Developing a return to work and health strategy
Workplace management involves consultation and collaboration:
• obtaining relevant medical and rehabilitation information in relation to the injured /ill
person - such as capacity for work, restrictions and support needs
• establishment of return to work goals and agreement
• workplace assessment and identification of suitable duties
• development of the return to work plan
• identification of barriers and implementing proactive strategies to address barriers
• management of workplace support services i.e. rehabilitation services, mediation etc.

13. Developing Return to Work & Health
Strategies - Overview
3. Developing a return to work and health strategy
INJURED PERSON
Case Manager
Insurer
Service Provider:
Treatment
providers,
Workplace
rehabilitation
providers
Legal:
Lawyers,
conciliation,
unions etc.
Employer:
RTW Coordinator,
OHS Coordinator,
Line Managers
Scheme:
Work colleagues,
teams, Regulator
Family:
Spouse, children,
family, friends etc.
There are a number of key stakeholder groups involved in ensuring the return to work and health of an
injured person – engaging effectively with each is essential:

14. Questions?