1) If the injured employee's health care provider issues a release to work without any restrictions, then there is no need to initiate the Return-to-Work procedure. Follow business as usual.

2) If the injured employee is issued restrictions by his/her health care provider and is able to return to work, then Utah State University Facilities will make every effort to accommodate the stated restrictions.

3) As soon as an injured employee is issued restrictions, those restrictions must be delivered to the Facilities Human Resource Specialist.

a. When the supervisor is supporting the injured employee at the medical facility, it will be his/her responsibility to make sure that copies of the restrictions are delivered to the Human Resource Specialist. The restrictions should be delivered the same day they are issued.

b. When the employee is issued restrictions without the support of a supervisor, it is then the responsibility of the employee to make certain that the restrictions are delivered to the Human Resource Specialist as soon as possible (preferably the same day they are issued).

4) The Facilities Human Resource Specialist will be responsible for initiating and overseeing the Return-to-Work process.

a. The Facilities Human Resource Specialist will initiate the Return-to-Work program upon notification that an employee has been placed on workplace restrictions.

b. Upon receiving an employee's restrictions, the Facilities Human Resource Specialist will contact the employee's direct supervisor to review the restrictions and determine if they can be accommodated within the individual shop. Accommodating the restrictions within the employee's own crew is the preferred approach to transitional employment.

b1. If the restrictions can be accommodated within the employee's own crew, then the Facilities Human Resource Specialist, the employee's supervisor and/or manager, and the employee will meet to discuss the restrictions, the accommodated assignments, and the timelines for transitional employment. Through this meeting, the injured employee's transitional employment plan will come to fruition.

b2. If the restrictions are unable to be accommodated within the employee's own crew, then the Transitional Employment Team will meet to locate tasks within Facilities suitable to the restrictions. Once tasks that accommodate the restrictions are located, the Facilities Human Resource Specialist, the employee's supervisor and/or manager, and the employee will meet to discuss the restrictions, the accommodated assignments, and timelines for the transitional employment. Through this meeting, the injured employee's transitional employment plan will come to fruition.

b3. If the injured employee's supervisor or manager is not available, the Human Resource Specialist has the ability to make some immediate decisions that will return the employee to work as soon as possible.

c. The Facilities Human Resource Specialist will change the employee's labor class to "Restricted" in the Facilities Work Order System (FAMIS) upon notification that the employee has been injured and will either miss work or be involved in the Return-to-Work program.

c1. While the employee is in the "Restricted" labor class, the pay codes of ZComp, Sick, Annual, and LWOP will be calculated and reported as lost time.

c2. While the employee is in the "Restricted" labor class, the pay codes of regular and overtime will be calculated and reported as transitional employment time.

d. The Facilities Human Resource Specialist, the employee's supervisor and/or manager, and the employee will continue to meet and discuss the employee's transitional employment plan on a weekly basis, when restrictions change, when accommodating tasks change, or whenever it is needed or necessary.

e. The day that the restrictions are removed by the attending health care provider, the Facilities Human Resource Office will change the employee's labor class back to the appropriate labor class.

5) Upon completion of the employee's transitional employment plan, the employee will participate in a Return-to-Work interview. This interview will include an entire review of the employee's experience. This will cover topics such as the accident, the medical care, the transitional employment plan, and the return to unrestricted employment.