1. Return-to-Work Program
State of Florida
Loss Prevention Program
Welcome to the Division of Risk Management’s Return-to-Work Program training. This online course is designed to provide you with the information needed to understand the definition, benefits, and Florida statutory requirements of an agency-wide return-to-work program. For the purposes of this training, the term “agency” will be used to refer to both agencies and universities.
Agency safety coordinators are encouraged to review this course upon appointment to their position, once every two years, any time a new safety coordinator is appointed, or when changes are made to the statute governing this position.
If you need to stop this program at any time during the presentation, press the “Pause” button at the bottom of the screen. To restart the training, press the “Play” button.

2. Objectives Define a return-to-work (RTW) program.
Describe the elements of a RTW program.
Know who is required to have a RTW program.
Recognize the benefits of a RTW program.
Identify the key RTW program participants and their responsibilities.
Understand the difference between alternate and modified duty.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to do the following:
Define a return-to-work program.
Describe the basic elements of a return-to-work program.
Determine which Florida agencies are required to have a return-to-work program in place.
Recognize the benefits a return-to-work program provides.
Identify the key participants in a return-to-work program and be able to discuss their responsibilities.
Understand the difference between alternate and modified duty.

3. What is a RTW Program?
A RTW program is an employer program designed to encourage and enable injured workers to remain at or return to work within the physical or mental restrictions established by their authorized medical provider.
So, what is a return-to-work program? Simply put, a return-to-work program is an employer program designed to encourage and enable an injured worker to remain at work or to return to work to perform job duties within the functional restrictions and limitations established by the employee’s authorized medical provider. The purpose of implementing a return-to-work program is to successfully re-integrate the injured employee back into the work environment.

4. Elements of a RTW Program
RTW policy and training
Establish and communicate program objectives.
Program coordination
Monitor claims and communicate with the key participants.
Alternate and/or modified duty
Provide and notify the employee of alternate job tasks.
An effective return-to-work program consists of several key elements:
Documented return-to-work policy that establishes program objectives and communicates them to supervisors and employees.
Agency-wide monitoring and coordination of the program that includes review of lost-time, claim data, and regular communication with the injured employee, supervisor, medical case management provider, and Division of Risk Management adjuster.
And providing the injured employee with meaningful, reasonable, and productive work opportunities within the employee’s medical restrictions. These alternate or modified duties are a stepping stone toward enabling the employee to return to a work level as close as possible to his or her pre-injury status.

5. Statutory Requirements
Under Section (3), Florida Statutes, “The Department of Financial Services and all agencies that are provided workers’ compensation insurance coverage by the State Risk Management Trust Fund and employ more than 3,000 full time employees shall establish and maintain return-to-work programs for employees who are receiving workers’ compensation benefits.” click for link to FL Statute
Who, then, is required to have a return-to-work program in place? According to Section (3), Florida Statutes, “The Department of Financial Services and all agencies that are provided workers’ compensation insurance coverage by the State Risk Management Trust Fund and employ more than 3,000 full-time employees shall establish and maintain return-to-work programs for employees who are receiving workers’ compensation benefits.”

6. Benefits of a RTW Program
Lowered medical costs
Reduced indemnity payments
Less need to replace employees or incur additional payroll
Quicker claim resolution
Improved employee morale
Maintained work conditioning
Why have a return-to-work program at your agency? A return-to-work program can reduce medical expenses by 29%. Even if you are not statutorily required to have a return-to-work program, implementing one can result in a number of significant benefits to both the employer and the employee. Benefits to the employer include not only lower medical costs, but reduced indemnity payments, less need to replace employees, and quicker claim resolution. Active monitoring of return-to-work processes also benefits the employee by promoting positive morale and helping to maintain work conditioning.
Reference:

7. When Do RTW Efforts Begin?
At 12 weeks, employees have only a 50% chance of ever returning to work.
When should return-to-work processes be initiated? Research tells us that time is of the essence. Studies have shown that there is a 50% chance of an employee returning to work after a 12-week absence, a 25% chance of returning to work after 6 months, and only a 1% chance of returning to the job after 1 year has passed. Therefore, return-to-work efforts should be implemented as soon as possible after an employee has experienced a workplace injury. Timely implementation fulfills the employee’s need to feel valued and saves your agency in claim costs.
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8. Quick Quiz Question
What are 3 benefits of have a RTW program in place at your agency?
A. Higher medical costs.
B. Reduced indemnity payments.
C. Quicker claim resolution.
D. Additional legal costs
E. Maintaining employee morale.
F. Increased lost time claims.
Let’s take a moment to answer a quick question. Can you identify at least three benefits having an effective return-to-work program in place would provide?

9. RTW Program Participants
Injured employee
Supervisor
Workers’ compensation coordinator
Medical case management provider
Division of Risk Management
Now that we know what a return-to-work program is and why having one is an advantage, can we identify the major program players? From the moment an employee becomes injured, the return-to-work program involves the participation of the employee, his or her supervisor, the agency workers’ compensation coordinator, the medical case management provider, and the Division of Risk Management. An agency risk manager may also play a part in return-to-work oversight. Each of these participants must work together as a team to contribute to the success of the program.

10. Responsibilities of Program Roles
Employee
attends appointments
agrees to program terms
agrees to alternate/modified duties
Supervisor
ensures restrictions are met
reports to WC coordinator
Workers’ compensation coordinator
evaluates level of RTW
communicates with employee and other key RTW players
Medical Case Mgmt. Provider
assigns nurse case manager
ensures proper medical treatment
documents DWC-25
Division of Risk Management
determines compensability
pays medical bills and indemnity benefits
assigns adjuster
What are the responsibilities of these return-to-work program roles?
The injured employee must attend medical appointments, agree to the terms of the program, and perform alternate or modified duties as assigned.
The employee’s supervisor ensures that work duties meet restrictions and limitations, and communicates concerns to the agency workers’ compensation coordinator.
The workers’ compensation coordinator works to determine if the employee is able to return to regular job duties, a modified or alternate duty job, or is unable to work. The workers’ compensation coordinator notifies the employee and communicates with the Division of Risk Management adjuster and other key program participants.
The medical case management provider assigns a nurse case manager to ensure medical treatment and documentation of restrictions and limitations on the DWC-25 form.
The Division of Risk Management determines compensability of the claim, and pays medical bills and indemnity benefits to the injured employee. The Division of Risk Management adjuster is responsible for the handling of the claim.

11. Quick Quiz Questions
Who determines compensability and pays medical bills and indemnity benefits?
Who must attend medical appointments, agree to terms of program, and perform alternate or modified duties as assigned?
Who assigns a nurse case manager to ensure proper medical treatment and documentation of the DWC-25?
Who is responsible for evaluating the level of work the injured employee is able to complete and communicating with key program members?
5. Who must ensure that work duties meet restrictions and limitations?
6. Who is responsible to work as a team to ensure program success?
A. Workers’ comp. coordinator
B. Supervisor
C. Division of Risk Management
D. Medical case mgmt. provider
E. Employee
Time for a few more quick questions.
Who determines compensability and pays medical bills and indemnity benefits?
Who must attend medical appointments, agree to terms of program, and perform alternate or modified duties as assigned?
Who assigns a nurse case manager to ensure proper medical treatment and documentation of the DWC-25?
Who is responsible for evaluating the level of work the injured employee is able to complete and communicating with key program members?
Who must ensure that work duties meet restrictions and limitations?
Who is responsible to work as a team to ensure program success?
A. Workers’ compensation coordinator
B. Supervisor
C. Division of Risk Management
D. Medical case management provider
E. Employee

12. Alternate and Modified Duty
Alternate Duty
Temporary duty away from employee’s regular responsibilities
Within DWC-25 functional limitations and restrictions
Modified Duty
Temporary duty within employee’s regular responsibilities
Within DWC-25 functional limitations and restrictions
Working to aggressively identify alternate-duty options is essential to controlling workers’ compensation costs. Alternate duties are defined as temporary duties established away from the employee’s regular work area and responsibilities. Effective alternate duty speeds recovery time and enhances return to full duty. Modified duties are temporary duties established within the employee’s regular position. Effective modified duty is temporary, progressive, and meaningful. Both alternate and modified duties must be within the functional limitations and restrictions outlined by the authorized treating medical provider.
In addition to lowering workers’ compensation indemnity, medical, and litigation costs, alternate duty can prevent psychosocial damage by keeping the recovering employee productive and close to his or her work team.

13. RTW Recap What is a RTW program? Describe elements of RTW.
Who is required to have a RTW program?
What are the benefits of RTW?
Who are the key RTW participants and what are their responsibilities?
What is the difference between alternate & modified duty?
In this presentation, we have covered many of the basics of the return-to-work program. You should now be able to define a return-to-work program as being designed to bring injured workers back to work within medical provider restrictions. You should be able to describe the elements of a return-to-work program as including policy, training, program coordination, and alternate and modified duty. You should know that under Section (3), Florida Statutes, agencies that are provided workers’ compensation coverage by the State Risk Management Trust Fund and employ more than 3,000 full-time employees are required to have return-to-work programs in place. You should be able to discuss the benefits of a return-to-work program as including reduced costs to the employer and improved employee morale. You should be able to identify the responsibilities of the injured employee, supervisor, workers’ compensation coordinator, medical case management provider, and the Division of Risk Management. And finally, you should be able to understand the difference between alternate duty— or temporary duty away from an employee’s regular responsibilities—and modified duty, which is temporary duty within an employee’s regular job duties.

14. Additional RTW Information
For a copy of the Return-to-Work Model Guidelines, please visit (insert hyperlink to our website)
Please direct RTW questions to:
Thank you for participating in the Division of Risk Management’s Return-to-Work Program training. If you have any questions on return-to-work information, please the State of Florida Loss Prevention Program at To access a copy of the Return-to-Work Model Guidelines, please visit our website at (insert hyperlink to our website).