Return to Work Policy for Non-Work Related Medical Conditions

Policy

This policy establishes guidelines to return employees to work who have non-work-related medical conditions that may have an impact on their ability to perform their job duties. These guidelines are established to ensure employees do not aggravate existing medical conditions or suffer additional injuries when they return to work.

The scope of the non-work related medical conditions for purposes of this policy include, but are not limited to, injuries, in-patient or out-patient surgery, and contagious illnesses. This policy is not intended to cover minor or “routine” illnesses such as the common cold, stomach flu, or other short-term, non-threatening condition that likely does not include work restrictions.

Procedure

Employees

1. Immediately notify their supervisor and the Human Resources Office when they may need to be gone from work for a non-work-related medical condition that affects their ability to perform their essential job duties. The non-work-related medical condition may qualify as a leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
2. Immediately notify their supervisor and the Human Resources Office if their medical provider supports their ability to return to work with/out restrictions.
3. Notify their supervisor and the Human Resources Office if they have been given temporary or permanent work restrictions for a non-work-related medical condition by a medical provider. In advance of returning to work, provide appropriate medical documentation outlining the work restrictions to the Human Resources Office.
4. A return to work or fitness for duty form is available on the Minnesota State Mankato Human Resources website at: https://admin.mnsu.edu/globalassets/human-resources/media/a-z-index/fitness-for-duty.pdf

Managers/Supervisors

1. Ensure that all employees under their supervision understand the Return to Work Policy for Non-Work-Related Medical Conditions.
2. Immediately notify the Human Resources Office when an employee has a non-work-related medical condition that they will be off work for three (3) or more days, or if a medical condition has restrictions preventing the employee from performing their essential job duties.
3. Refrain from engaging in detailed discussion with employees regarding their medical conditions. Discussion should be limited to the employee’s ability to perform the essential job duties of their position.
4. Immediately review medical restrictions with the Human Resources Office and the Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management Office to determine if work tasks would aggravate, or potentially cause additional injury to the employee. In some cases, consultation with a medical provider by the Human Resources Office may be required.
5. Evaluate with the Human Resources Office and the Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management Office any light duty or temporary job reassignments that may be available to the employee.

Human Resources Office and Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management Office

1. Notify employees of their rights under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if eligible, for any non-work-related medical condition.
2. Assist supervisors in evaluating all requests to return to work from employees to ensure that non-work-related medical conditions are not aggravated or potentially cause additional injury to the employee when they return to work. In some cases, consultation with a medical provider by the Human Resources Office may be required upon receiving the fitness for duty documentation from the employee.
3. All necessary medical documentation related to non-work-related medical conditions will be maintained in a separate file in the Human Resources Office.

Return to Work

A. Return to Own Job

Employees will be allowed to return to work if the employee has documentation from a medical provider about work restrictions, and the restrictions do not interfere with the employee’s essential job duties. The supervisor, the Human Resources Office and the Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management Office will review documents to ensure the non-work-related medical condition will not be aggravated or potentially cause additional injury to the employee from work duties. In some cases, consultation with a medical provider by the Human Resources Office may be required upon receiving the fitness for duty documentation from the employee. These documents shall be maintained by the Human Resources Office in a separate file.

B. Temporary Reassignment to Light Duty Jobs

1. Human Resources will identify light duty jobs that might be available on the campus.
2. Supervisors, after consultation with the Human Resources Office and the Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management Office, may temporarily reassign employees with non-work-related medical conditions to light duty tasks that will not aggravate or potentially cause additional injury to the employee if such light duty work is available and is within the skill set of the employee.
3. The employer is not required to create light duty work that is not otherwise readily available just to satisfy any employee restrictions.

C. Partial Return to Work

Employees may be returned to work on a part-time basis with appropriate medical documentation, but only if approved in advance by the supervisor, the Human Resources Office and the Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management Office, to ensure the medical condition is not aggravated or potentially cause additional injury to the employee. There is no obligation to allow an employee to return on a part-time basis, and should not be allowed under any circumstances unless it is believed to lead the employee back to full-time, or their normal work schedule, within a reasonable time frame determined by the employer. In some cases, consultation with a medical provider by the Human Resources Office may be required upon receiving the fitness for duty documentation from the employee.

** This policy does not apply in Workers’ Compensation circumstances. **

Rationale