Early return to work program

HR Shared Services recognizes the need to support employees' recovery should they suffer work-related injuries or develop an occupational disease. When an employee is temporarily unable to perform some or all of the duties of their regular job because of such injury or disease, it is well established that recovery is accelerated when the employee continues to work. HR Shared Services strongly supports employees' early return to work and requires each institution to explore all early return-to-work options for an employee eligible for such assistance.

• Modified duty is a temporary assignment compatible with an employee’s prescribed restrictions that precludes an employee from performing some or all of his/her regular duties.
• Once an approved workers’ compensation provider prescribes temporary restrictions, the supervisor must provide modified duty and submit to Risk Management with the appropriate signatures. If that is not possible, the employee will be provided modified duty with another department or campus.
• The employee’s original appointing authority is responsible for an employee’s salary and benefits while the employee is working in a modified duty assignment with another department or campus.
• The modified duty assignment form must be completed before the employee returns to work.
• While working in a modified duty assignment, the employee receives the same base rate of pay received while working in his/her regular position.
• Modified duty assignments should be updated as restrictions change until the employee is released to full duty.