Employment Readiness

July 1, 2022 and still in effect

4.16

Purpose

This policy provides information on targeted programming to assist workers in re-entering the workforce.

Definitions

board means the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board

case management team means a team that assists the worker with their recovery, early and safe return to work plan and, if needed, vocational rehabilitation. The team always includes the worker and the board. Employers have a duty to co-operate in their worker’s early and safe return to work and will be encouraged to use participation on the Case Management Team to facilitate that duty. The team can also include up to two representatives of the worker (chosen by the worker), case manager and the health care providers. Other members may be added depending on their specific roles and responsibilities.

employer means every association, corporation, individual, partnership, person, society or unincorporated organization or other body having in their service one or more workers in an industry and as further defined in section 77 of the Act

health care provider means

    a. a medical practitioner; or

    b. a health care provider recognized by the board.

worker means a person who performs work or services for an employer under a contract of service or apprenticeship, written or oral, express or implied and as further defined in section 77 of the Act

Policy Statement

1. General

The board will encourage workers, health care providers, employers and other parties to work co-operatively as a Case Management Team and to explore all reasonable, creative and flexible solutions to design plans that will facilitate the worker staying at work, when possible, or facilitate the worker’s early and safe return to work when the worker, functionally, cannot stay at work.

2. Employment readiness

Employment readiness programming of up to four weeks, including loss of earnings benefits and the cost of employment readiness services, may be available to workers unable to return to the employment they had at the time of the work-related injury, but who are capable of re-entering the work force.

Vocational rehabilitation plans may be limited to a period of employment readiness where the worker is market ready and considered capable of earning they had at the time of the work-related injury because the worker has transferable skills, other qualifications, alternate work experience, or little or no residual disability following a vocational assessment. Employment readiness services may include:

    a. résumé writing and preparation;

    b. instruction and/or assistance on how to complete application forms;

    c. job interview preparation; and

    d. instruction on how to access information regarding job opportunities.

At the board’s discretion, employment readiness may be followed by further programming support where the worker locates an employer willing to provide an employment opportunity requiring, for example, a period of on-the-job training. This would help to reduce or eliminate the worker’s loss of earnings.

Workers who travel outside of their home community while participating in the employment readiness program may be eligible for cost reimbursement.