TRANSITIONAL RETURN TO WORK PROGRAM

CCSD has developed a formal Transitional Return to Work Program to enhance recovery, comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, help minimize workers compensation costs, and to provide a service to employees who are injured or suffer from an occupational disease in the course and scope of their employment with CCSD. As a part of the Focus 2024 five-year strategic plan, our objective is to reduce the number of worker’s compensation claims that have five or more days away from work after an injury to no more than 15 percent of all claims.

Employees will be placed in temporary modified duty positions, when feasible, during recovery from an injury or occupational disease that precludes them from performing their normal job tasks. In the event a treating physician issues permanent return to work restrictions that prevent an employee from returning to their pre-injury position, the District will make every effort to place the employee in an alternative vacant position that they are qualified to perform and that matches their physical limitations.

Program Benefits:

1. Reduction of costs to the District  (Average costs of $1.7 million annually just for worker’s compensation benefits)
2. Reduction in vacancies and better employee retention
3. Reduction in substitute employee costs
4. Faster recovery time
5. Employees retain their leave balances
6. Improves employee morale

Types of transitional work:

1. Temporary modified work means adjusting work duties to allow the employee to continue to work in their regular position
2. Temporary alternate work provides duties that are different from the regular position and can be within their own department

Timeframe:

1. Up to 90 days or until:

1. Employee is released to return to work Full Duty
2. Physician certifies employee unable to work at all
3. Alternate work duties are no longer available
4. Physician indicates employee has permanent work restrictions

New Forms & Written Procedures: 

1. Return to Work Agreement (signed by employee & supervisor)
2. Physician’s Physical Assessment (completed at every doctor’s visit)
3. Training manual for Supervisors
4. Employee Informational Handouts and/or Posters
5. The Worker’s Compensation program will have the position of Return to Work Manager on staff to oversee the new process, work with payroll for coding purposes, ensure CCSD forms are completed, report employee status to the Third-Party Administrator and verify cooperation of all physicians to keep up-to-date on work restrictions. 

Reporting:

1. Annual reporting to School Board towards the Focus 2024 objective of decreasing lost days from work as well as regular monitoring of the effectiveness of the new Transitional Return to Work program.

For further information contact Katie Alvarez in the Worker's Compensation office at 702-799-0060, Ext. 5669 or by email at alvarkm@nv.ccsd.net.