Step 8 Educate The Workforce

The key to the success of a Return-to-Work program is partnership among workers, employers, and health care providers, and a shared commitment to the goal of returning injured workers to employment.

Proper education of your workforce will:

• Make everyone in the workplace aware of the principles and practice of the Return-to-Work program.
  
  
• Educate supervisors and workers about the needs of injured co-workers returning to the work environment.
  
  
• Make everyone aware of the benefits of a Return-to-Work program. This can be achieved by:
  
  
  • Providing employee orientation to introduce the Return-to-Work program and explaining how the company will respond if a worker is injured;
                 
    
  • Providing ongoing education;
    
    
  • Displaying posters of the mission statement or policy;
    
    
  • Putting information about the Return-to-Work program in the employee newsletter;
    
    
  • Providing sensitivity training to help co-workers generally understand the needs of injured co-workers;
    
    
  • Providing support and education to the injured worker's family;
    
    
  • And finally, the Return-to-Work team should educate injured workers on their new tasks or modified jobs, and explain the importance of staying within the provider's guidelines.

See:

Appendix V: Return-to-Work for Stakeholders PowerPoint Presentation (PDF)

Appendix W: Return-to-Work for Management PowerPoint Presentation (PDF)

Appendix X: Return-to-Work for Employees PowerPoint Presentation (PDF)