Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 23 SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES IN THE RETURN TO WORK With the pandemic, organizations should prepare for an influx of mental health challenges that could lead to increased disability cases and short- and long-term leaves ― and a customized response can help with the return to work Lisa Paterson is the Vancouver-based director of pre-claim intervention at the Disability Management Institute. For more information, visit www.mydmi.ca. the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a clear indica- tion that mental health impacts are a severe consequence of the lockdowns and restrictions in place. This includes anxiety and worry associated with catching COVID-19, the stress of caring for family members while working from home, as well as loneliness and isolation. Organizations must be prepared to face an influx of mental health challenges such as these spilling over into the work- place through increased disability cases and short- and long-term leaves. It is important to engage with employees early on to offer resources and support to help mitigate the nega- tive impact and to help the employer retain valuable employees. Asking the right questions It is crucial to ask the right questions at the beginning of an absence to identify WITH and provide the earliest possible support to employees dealing with mental health challenges and other medical complexi- ties. One example of this is an inno- vative pilot project that Disability Management Institute (DMI) has part- nered on with Claim Lab. It is designed to support employees on leave and facil- itate their safe and timely return to work through a brief email questionnaire sent to both the absent employee and their direct manager. The information in this customized questionnaire provides a holistic under- standing of a workplace absence and assists in identifying resources and return-to-work planning. These ques- tions revolve around physical capabili- ties, mental health and motivation. The questionnaire goes into specifics about how they are coping with their daily activities (such as personal grooming or sleep), time management, focus and the employee's perception about what would help them return to work. Employers are asked to provide infor- mation about job duties, performance and opportunities for the employee to return to work. Interviewing both the direct manager and the employee can help to highlight any gaps regarding the work environment or job duties that may be missed. It is highly suggested that a credited third-party institute — such as a disability management provider — asks these questions rather than an employer, in order to adhere to any privacy restrictions. The questionnaire responses show how the employee and the employer score across several matrices: physical capabilities, mental health and motiva- tion. These scores are used to customize interactions between the employee and employer, and they provide targeted support to maximize the employee's recovery and return to function. For example, if an employee indicates that they don't perceive their treat- ment plan to be helpful, the conver- sation could focus on the details of the treatment plan, how long they have been following it or if they shared their concerns with their doctor. The response becomes customized to what the employee needs. Having these kinds of personalized interactions helps employees to feel more supported — they aren't just given generic resources but tools that are specific to them and their unique situations. Develop actionable strategies Through engagement with the employee, the employer can identify patterns early on. The employer can work with their disability management service to develop comprehensive case management strat- egies such as regular followups with the employee, goal setting, ensuring compliance with treatment recommen- dations, maximizing the use of support resources (such as benefit plans, family, friends and mindfulness) and exploring modified or gradual return-to-work options. These strategies help to ensure that the individuals are supported and that they can achieve the best possible outcomes such as early return to work, gradual or modified work, shorter leaves and greater well-being. Employers can benefit from reducing recurrent absences and overtime costs, increasing the retention of skilled employees, and reducing the burden on other staff members to cover for employee absences. Providing counselling services, offering referrals to community-based resources, encouraging the use of the employee and family assistance program (EFAP) and providing access to online workshops and webinars are just some of the strate- gies that employers can use to get ahead of these concerning trends. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be felt among organizations and communities for years to come, but by providing support and resources early on, employers can alleviate some of that stress, help employees who may be suffering in silence and create a path to a safe and timely recovery. CHRR

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