The New Work Reintegration Program
Transportation Safety Group
May 18, 2011
Gail Kovacs, Director and Practice Lead, Work Reintegration Program Development
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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
■ The existence of this legislative mandate sets clear parameters
in which the WSIB must operate
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 had increased at every window
■ The number and level of locked-in LOE awards had been 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 have SIEF relief, at an average of 66%
- most workers enter LMR just before or after the ER 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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Value for Money Audit Recommendations
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 WR
■ 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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Work Reintegration (WR) Model
■ The Vision – Reintegration into decent, safe , and sustainable employment, maintaining
the dignity of the worker
■ The Goal - Employment.
■ The Principles
1. Maintain the employment relationship, wherever possible, between the worker and
the injury employer, all parties have a shared obligation.
2. Provide effective and meaningful input and choice on the part of the worker,
3. Maintain high standards for services provided by WSIB staff, contracted
parties, to ensure effective, quality services that achieve desired employment
outcomes.
4. Manage the costs of the program but do not be managed by the cost.
5. 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
■ Employer support with disability management programs
■ Early intervention in RTW and work transition (WT)
■ Retraining to remain with injury employer
■ Active engagement of injury employer
■ Accommodation requirements
■ 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
■ Worker choice / motivation and cooperation defined
■ 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 make appropriate decisions based upon legislation, policy and
good practices
– Plan activities in collaboration with the workplace parties, complete with dates, milestones, and
best outcomes required to achieve RTW and recovery and create a service plan to achieve the
best outcome and enable timely follow-up and effective monitoring
– 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
■
Return to Work Specialist
– Facilitate return to work by educating workplace parties on return to work principles and best
practices, the benefits of return to work and services available, the return to work process, the
employer's and worker's rights and obligations under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act
and relevant policies and procedures as well as available resources
– Identify and clarify issues relevant to the RTW process and any other matters that present
barriers to RTW or are pertinent to the case
– Offer dispute resolution services such as mediation when education and guidance has not
resulted in a successful return to work
– Establish the RTW goal and the intervention(s) to overcome obstacles to positive RTW
outcomes
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)
– Assisting workplaces in understanding sector profiles and how to use them to
improve their disability management and RTW programs
– Providing workplaces RTW and duration trends, information, data and
analyses to assist them in developing and implementing effective programs and
approaches which will improve disability management and return to work and
positively impact persistency and injury rates.
– Encourage and assist workplaces to build a network of job opportunities within
own industry and identify placement opportunities to link workplaces to each
other for disability management and return to work purposes
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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Work Reintegration (WR) Policy Overview
■ Five interim principle-based WR policies and one draft NEER policy came
into effect on December 1, 2010 and were developed to support the WSIB’s
new WR program
■ Interim WR policies replace 24 existing policies covering ESRTW, reemployment and LMR
■ Intended to produce better return to work outcomes
■ Emphasis on greater accountability by workplace parties, and early WSIB
involvement with ongoing support
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Overview of Key Policy Concepts
Key Concepts
New/Re-emphasized
Maintaining pre-injury employment relationship

Timely work transition assessments

Increased worker input and choice

Part-time or partial work capacity

More work transition pathways

Reasonable investments in retraining

Enhanced WT for young workers

Older worker option

Relocation assistance

WSIB’s role in supporting workplace parties

Retained
Accommodation support for small business

Suitable work (streamlined definition)

Available work

Accommodation requirements (streamlined)

Worker and employer non-co-operation penalties and employer
re-employment penalties

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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WPP Non-Co-operation Penalties
Initial Penalty
Start of Penalty
Amount of Penalty —
Worker
Amount of Penalty —
Employer
Penalty ends
Full Penalty
 Initial penalty applied seven
business days after date of written
notice of non-co-operation
 If non-co-operation continues,
full penalty applied 14 calendar
days after initial penalty
 Wage loss benefits reduced by
50%
 Wage loss benefits suspended, or
if worker in WT, reduced to reflect
the earnings of an experienced
worker in the SO
 50% of the cost of wage loss
benefits to the worker
 100% of the cost of the worker’s
wage loss benefits, plus
 100% of any costs for providing
WT services to the worker
 Initial penalty ends when
workplace party renews cooperation, or after 14 calendar
days, whichever comes first*
*for employers, initial penalty can also end if
no further benefits are payable to the worker
 Full penalty (worker) continues
until worker starts co-operating
 Full penalty (employer) continues
until the earliest of
o employer starts co-operating
o date no further benefits are
payable to the worker, or
o 12 months following date
written notice comes into effect
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Re-employment Penalties
Length of
Obligation
Effective Date and
Amount of Penalty
Penalty Reduction
Worker fit for
essential duties of
pre-injury job
Earliest of
 two years after date of
injury
 one year after fit for
essential, or
 date worker reaches 65
years of age
 Penalty applied seven
business days after date of
written notice
 Amount of penalty is
actual amount of worker’s
net average earnings for
year before the injury*
Penalty reduced by
 50% if employer later
offers suitable work at no
wage loss, or
 25% if employer offers
suitable work at a wage loss
where the employment is
maintained for the
remainder of the obligation
period
 Penalty applied seven
Worker only fit for
suitable work
Earliest of
 two years after date of
injury, or
 date worker reaches 65
years of age
Penalty reduced by
 50% if employer later
offers “less” suitable work
at no wage loss
 25% if employer offers
“less” suitable work at a
wage loss
where the employment is
maintained for the
remainder of the obligation
period
business days after date of
written notice
 Amount of penalty is
actual amount of worker’s
net average earnings for
year before the injury*
*Apportioned based on time left
in obligation period
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:
Introduction:
■ Institute for Work and Health (IWH) assisted in building the performance
measurement and evaluation framework
■ Reporting has commenced and more will come
■ Data is building and maturing as more cases enter new program
■ Program is being refined based on early experience
Purpose:
■ To know if we’re doing better
■ Understand if our activities and strategies are producing intended results
■ To adjust and make mid-course corrections
■ Ensure success
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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WR Performance Measurement:
Levels of Monitoring and Reporting:
Establish accountability for results throughout the
organization:
■
At the Corporate level
■
At the Business line/Divisional level
■
At the Team level
■
At the Individual level
■
At the Process level (including provider)
WR Program
Performance
Measures
Methods:
■ Information/data analysis
■ Audits
– Case
– Provider
■ Surveys
– Annual Ipsos Reid
– Continuous by WSIB
Dimensions:
Quality Programs
Effective (correct, complete, resultsoriented)
Efficient (timely and streamlined processes
and services)
Credible
Individualized
Responsive
Integrated (activities/services)
Customer
Service
Cost
Effectiveness
Demonstrated value for
money
Managed costs
(accountability)
Expenditures within forecast
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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Measurement Criteria
We have a comprehensive set of performance measures, for all dimensions
and levels.
Some of the key measures are:
■ # and % of injured workers who RTW with injury employer and overall
■ # and % of injured workers who RTW within 3, 6, 12 months and 2, 4,
& 6 years
■ Injured worker and employer satisfaction with WR services
■ Employed rate at end of work transition program
■ Costs of program vs. Benefit costs saved/avoided
■ Average cost of Work Transition programs overall and per employed
worker
■ % of 100% LOE and overall average LOE at lock-in
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
■ Greater assurance of workers getting the service
they need when they need it
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
■ 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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Work Reintegration Division
Vice President
Judy Geary
Director, WRP Development and
Practice Lead WRP – Gail Kovacs
Exec. Assist.
Nicole Lindo
Exec. Sec.
Christine
Servello
Summer
Student (3) TBD
Director, Program & Provider
Effectiveness – Linda Kelly
Business Assistant
(Shared) - Alana
Gregoire
Manager Program
Development (1)
Program
Development
Specialist (3) –
Manager, Labour
Market
Information(1)
Labour Market
Information
Specialist (4)
Manager, Strategic
Adult Education
Alliance(1)
Program
Development
Specialist (1)
Manager, Quality
Management – Maddy
Roppoli
Quality Management
Specialist (8) – Fil Viviani,
Nina Hadjas, Denise ChaiChong, Michelle Beehari
Manager, Evaluation –
Sophia Voumvakis
Sr. Information Analyst
(2) – James Brinker
Matthew Griffin
Information Analyst (1)
Contract Manager (2) –
Program Evaluation
Analyst (2) –
Complaints Officer (2) –
Breda Neher
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
4/8/2015
Work Reintegration Division approach
■ To do “with” and not “for” or “to”
■ Stakeholder identification and engagement processes
■ Focus on customer service
■ Full transparency and integration
■ Clear and consistent communications
■ Leadership by example
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Overview of Program Development
Leadership
Research and
Development
Promotion /
communications
Integration
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Leadership
■
■
■
■
Researching and developing best practice
Leading on projects / committees
Providing Professional expertise / opinion
Building positive relationships – internally /
externally
■ Providing technical support to service delivery
■ Professionalizing resources
■ Leading by example
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Research and Development
■
■
■
■
Identifying emerging trends
Identifying gaps, issues and innovations
Determining best (better) practice
Recommending new programs / services or change to
existing ones
■ Setting and reviewing standards
■ Developing guidelines, policies, procedures, briefing
materials, formats, templates
■ Responding to sensitive issues
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Promotion and communications
■
■
■
■
Developing communication strategies
Creating partnerships
Educating internal and external stakeholders
Promoting service and delivery
And with Program and Provider Effectiveness (PPE)
■ Collecting and evaluating data
■ Developing and managing CQI processes
■ Managing risk
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Adult Education and Labour Market
■ Strategic roles
■ Keeping current and projecting trends
■ Researching best practice and recommending new
programs and processes to external stakeholders to
meet worker, employer and WSIB needs
■ Liaising with external stakeholders in order to collect
information, develop and share best practice and
influence direction
■ Providing guidance and advice based on expertise to
Service Delivery and complaints officer
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Program Development initiatives
■ Guidelines for EPS Providers and WSIB staff around
motivation, cooperation and consent
■ Guidelines related to disclosing worker criminal records
■ Accessibility responsibilities within the Colleges
■ Template for College Progress Reports
■ Guidelines/expectations around Standardized assessments
■ Fine tuning of Transferable Skills Inventory / Analysis
■ Strategy for assisting workers with narcotic related issues
■ Strategy for collaborating with CPP
■ Removal of the stigma attached to “older workers”
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Professionalization
Definition
Association /
Membership
Scope of
Practice
Continuous
Professional
Development
Standards of
Practice
Professional
Credentials
Values
Education
Competencies
Disciplinary
process
Code of Ethics
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 Contacts
■ Judy Geary – judy_geary@wsib.on.ca
■ Gail Kovacs – gail_kovacs@wsib.on.ca
■ Linda Kelly – linda_kelly@wsib.on.ca
■ Joanne Webb – joanne_webb@wsib.on.ca
■ Mike Curtis – mike_curtis@wsib.on.ca
■ John Mutch – john_mutch@wsib.on.ca
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board | Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail
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Questions
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