As an Employer, you have a duty of care for the health and safety of your employees. This makes it important to manage your risks and responsibilities when factoring in an employee’s return to work following an injury, or absence.
There are clear guidelines for Employers on what they are required to do for work related injuries or conditions, but what about those that aren’t related to an employee’s work, and where there may be insufficient guidance around capacity?
For the most part, your employee would likely provide you with medical certificates, you may obtain their consent to liaise with their treating practitioners, but it can sometimes be difficult when information you need to make decisions for a safe RTW may not be as easily accessible. There are many parts to this that Employers should consider in meeting their obligations from RTW Programs, Medical Fitness and Pre-Employment procedures, and reasonable adjustments to name a few, but it’s important to know that there are options to help facilitate this process as well.
Fitness for Duty (FFD) Functional Assessments
Photo by Ümit Yıldırım on Unsplash
You may consider a FFD Functional Assessment to ensure an employee is physically fit to perform the tasks associated with their role for non-work-related conditions or when seeking a second opinion, taking into account the physical demands of the role as part of the risk management process.
When would you refer for a Fitness for Duty (FFD) Functional Assessment?
- There are frequent or prolonged absence(s) from work
- A worker is certified unfit to perform their role, or parts of their role
- An employee intends on returning to work following extended absence for non-work related conditions
- To determine a workers functional capacity to safely perform the inherent requirements of their role
- When there are discrepancies or concerns regarding a workers capacity for work
- To obtain impartial and objective clinical findings for an independent medical/specialist opinion, &
- For complex injury management cases
What we provide?
- Impartial & comprehensive assessment and reporting
- Identification of barriers and recommended strategies
- Guidance on the workers current capacity aligned to their work demands, and;
- Liaison with the Employer and where necessary, treating practitioners
Not only do Employers have a responsibility to provide safe and healthy workplaces, but they also need to ensure their employees are able to safely perform their duties without posing risk to themselves, their colleagues or the business.
What next?
It’s always best to discuss your needs with us so we can tailor our services to address your concerns, but the next steps are easy:
- Call to book ahead an appointment for your worker. Allow 2 hours for the assessment & report.
- Send us a referral letter with any related information, particularly information regarding the physical demands of the role, including approval for the assessment. Our friendly team will talk you through what to expect.
At Precision Physio, we have Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists who understand the needs of businesses we extend services too. To learn more about our services and how we can work with you, call us today to schedule a discussion with our WC Business Development & Account Manager, Petrina Lobo:
- Precision Physio Concord: 02 9736 3950
- Precision Physio St Marys: 02 9623 2220
- Precision Physio Mt Druitt: 02 9188 2552
Online Consultations
Evolving with the current environment, we are also now offering online appointments, meaning that we can support anyone who is unable to leave their home. Sessions are done via our state of the art Telehealth system and as long as you have a laptop or tablet with an inbuilt camera, or a phone with camera, we can help!
To learn more about online consultations, please call us on any of the numbers listed above.
