Challenge
*Jack was a 50-year-old Union employee working full time for a large retail employer as a back-of-house support representative. But that was ten years ago. After being injured at work in January 2016, he was unable to continue daily work at his job. Even though Jack was represented by an attorney, from 2016 to 2024, he had only worked 44 days.
Over his eight years out of work, he had surgery, was taken out of work by doctors unrelated to the claim and had refused previous offers. It was then that *Michelle, a return-to-work specialist, was brought in. She looked over the claim and stepped in with determination to help Jack return to his daily life and help his employer get their employee back. Michelle’s original offer was declined, however, when she submitted a counteroffer from the employee, the employer accepted. Now, it was time to get to work.
Solution
Through negotiation efforts from Michelle with the provider, attorney, and employer, the colleague was able to return to work in a temporary light-duty position with work restrictions and accommodations.
These restrictions included:
- Occasionally stand/walk
- Occasionally climb/bend/kneel/squat
- No heavy lifting anything over twenty pounds
Jack’s light-duty assignment included him being able to sit as needed to scan merchandise that arrives and to use a handheld scanner to process it. He also was required to stay within his weight restrictions by self-monitoring, but had the autonomy to walk, stand, or sit as needed while performing tasks.
Result
It has been two years since Jack hit great momentum in his recovery journey, and the temporary light-duty position was found to be increasingly beneficial to the employee as well as the employer. Jack was expected to increase in capability as he progressed in his recovery with the assistance of his return-to-work specialist Michelle. Looking back now, they both did more than succeed.
*Names changed for privacy purposes