The Pros and Pros (There Are No Cons) of a Restricted Duty Program

Written By:  Jim Akers

Loss Control Consultant

We have all heard and read about restricted duty programs, otherwise known as Return to Work (RTW). Still, it is important to note: you will save your district money, possibly quite a bit, if you bring your employees injured in a work-related accident back to work on temporary restricted duty. This is a best practice that MUSIC highly encourages, and we are happy to help you set up and run this program.

Bringing employees back to work with temporary restrictions will save you money and help the employee heal faster, which is the number one reason to utilize it. Employees heal more quickly when they are among their co-workers and friends, sometimes as much as 50 to 60 percent faster. Setting up an RTW program couldn’t be easier if you design your program using the information on the MUSIC website located here. This information will help create an RTW program from scratch, or it might help you improve on an existing program you already have.

If you already utilize an RTW program, or have decided to design one from scratch, something from MUSIC that will assist you is the new Incident Tracker. This tool allows the Workers’ Compensation Coordinator one centralized place to track the school’s open and closed Workers’ Compensation incidents and claims. It will also help to facilitate communication between the school, the injured employee, the employee’s supervisor, and other key stakeholders. The Incident tracker gives schools a place to record how an injured worker’s restrictions have been accommodated. Watch the Workers’ Compensation Incident Tracker training video to learn more.

Feel free to contact Jim Akers to discuss setting up an RTW program from scratch or if you’d like to update your current plan. Also, feel free to contact Jim if you need more information or additional training on the Incident Tracker or to get access to the Incident Tracker.

Contact Information:

Jim Akers, Loss Control Consultant

(Phone) 314.800.2151 | (Email) Jim_Akers@ajg.com