1. The New Work Reintegration Program
Transportation Safety Group
May 18, 2011
Gail Kovacs, Director and Practice Lead, Work Reintegration Program Development
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
WSIB has recently introduced significant change to it's return to work and labour market re-entry programs and policies, now called "work reintegration". These changes are designed to improve quality, satisfaction levels, and employment outcomes. They will also reduce costs. This session will describe the anticipated impacts of the new program."

2. The Legislative Mandate of the WSIB
The WSIB operates within a defined legislative mandate. That mandate is comprised of four key elements, which can be summarised as follows:
To promote health and safety in workplaces
To facilitate the return to work and recovery of workers
To facilitate the re-entry into the labour force of workers and spouses of deceased workers
To provide compensation and other benefits
The existence of this legislative mandate sets clear parameters in which the WSIB must operate
Bill 160 – Education Quality Improvement Act – amendment to WSIA mandate 4 key elements from:
1. To promote health and safety in workplaces and to prevent and reduce the occurrence of workplace injuries and occupational diseases.
2. To facilitate the return to work and recovery of workers who sustain personal injury arising out of and in the course of employment or who suffer from an occupational disease.
3. To facilitate the re-entry into the labour market of workers and spouses of deceased workers.
4. To provide compensation and other benefits to workers and to the survivors of deceased workers

3. Case for Change Duration had increased at every window
The number and level of locked-in LOE awards had been rising
The WSIB’s Return to Work (RTW) and Labour Market Re-entry (LMR) programs had limited success with overall poor employment outcomes for injured workers
Injured workers concerned about “retraining for jobs that don’t exist”
Employers concerned about escalating costs
Too many injured workers not being re-employed with injury employer and the cost of LMR was transferred to the Unfunded Liability (UFL):
- 77% of workers in LMR had re-employment rights but did not RTW with the injury employer
- 48% of LMR cases have SIEF relief, at an average of 66%
- most workers enter LMR just before or after the ER window closes

4. Value for Money Audit Recommendations
Integrated Work Re-integration Model
Employer Accountability
Cost Management
Service Quality
Worker Input and Choice
Complaint Management
Integrated Work Re-integration Model – WR Model completed
Employer Accountability – Policy (non-cooperation penalties) and new draft NEER (3->4 yr NEER window)
Cost Management - New service level agreements will include greater provider accountability for quality and cost effective services, including secondary provider services. WSIB has implemented fixed fees and outcome based performance incentives
Service Quality - WSIB will work with the MTCU, PSPs and SSPs to ensure consistent methods to improve the quality of services for injured workers provided by all parties. The new provider contracts will include improved requirements and enhanced monitoring to ensure service quality.
Worker Input and Choice – for SO and school
Complaint Management - formal complaint process that is responsive and independent will be developed and implemented by Q2, 2010.

5. Leading Practices in WR
Focus on “ability” rather than “disability”
Employer accountability for work reintegration
Worker centric work reintegration principles and approaches
Worker self-determination
Incentive programs for employers to retain or hire injured workers
Benefit schemes that remove long-term benefit dependency
Enhanced case management approach
Professionalization of staff responsible for work reintegration service to injured workers

6. Work Reintegration (WR) Model
The Vision – Reintegration into decent, safe , and sustainable employment, maintaining the dignity of the worker
The Goal - Employment.
The Principles
Maintain the employment relationship, wherever possible, between the worker and the injury employer, all parties have a shared obligation.
Provide effective and meaningful input and choice on the part of the worker,
Maintain high standards for services provided by WSIB staff, contracted parties, to ensure effective, quality services that achieve desired employment outcomes.
Manage the costs of the program but do not be managed by the cost.
Ensure workers are fairly compensated for wage loss, recognizing the difference between pre-injury earnings and post-injury earning ability.

7. New and Improved Features
Employer support with disability management programs
Early intervention in RTW and work transition (WT)
Retraining to remain with injury employer
Active engagement of injury employer
Accommodation requirements
Penalties for employer non-cooperation
More pathways for workers :
Accommodation
All employers have a duty to modify the work or the workplace to accommodate the needs of the worker to the extent of undue hardship. This duty arises through the
obligation to re-employ set out in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act or the associated Construction Regulation, and/or
the Ontario Human Rights Code (the Code) or the Canadian Human Rights Act.
If a job becomes available that can be made suitable through accommodation, and the accommodation does not cause the employer undue hardship, the employer must provide the accommodation. A worker’s accommodation requirements may be temporary or permanent.
During the RTW process, employers and, when relevant, unions and workers are expected to comply with human rights legislation and associated policies.
The Code guarantees equal access to employment opportunities to any person with a disability, whether such disability is work or non-work-related. Pursuant to the Code, if a person with a disability requires accommodation to perform the essential duties of a job, the employer must provide accommodation unless to do so would cause the employer undue hardship.
To assist in determining undue hardship, the WSIB refers to the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (OHRC) Policy and Guidelines on Disability and the Duty to Accommodate. Since relevant human rights legislation also protects workers from discrimination on grounds such as disability, race, religion and sexual orientation, employers may have accommodation requirements during the RTW or WT process in addition to those related to the work related-impairment.

8. New and Improved Features
Worker choice / motivation and cooperation defined
Program time limits
Recognition that part-time employment may be the best option
Relocation assistance
Employment placement and retention support services
Expanded Experience Rating window ( years)

9. Roles within WR Program
Case Manager
Set RTW and recovery goals and make appropriate decisions based upon legislation, policy and good practices
Plan activities in collaboration with the workplace parties, complete with dates, milestones, and best outcomes required to achieve RTW and recovery and create a service plan to achieve the best outcome and enable timely follow-up and effective monitoring
Co-ordinate and take action on planned activities and timely interventions and ensure workplace parties are well informed about what is happening, who is accountable, and what to expect
Return to Work Specialist
Facilitate return to work by educating workplace parties on return to work principles and best practices, the benefits of return to work and services available, the return to work process, the employer's and worker's rights and obligations under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act and relevant policies and procedures as well as available resources
Identify and clarify issues relevant to the RTW process and any other matters that present barriers to RTW or are pertinent to the case
Offer dispute resolution services such as mediation when education and guidance has not resulted in a successful return to work
Establish the RTW goal and the intervention(s) to overcome obstacles to positive RTW outcomes

10. Roles within WR Program
Work Transition Specialist (New)
Provide expert advice, direction, vocational rehabilitation counselling and support workers and employers to coordinate the work transition process
Identify appropriate and realistic work transition options for workers, such as direct job entry or skills training, part-time employment, training on the job or direct job placement assistance
Employer Liaison Specialist (Refocused)
Assisting workplaces in understanding sector profiles and how to use them to improve their disability management and RTW programs
Providing workplaces RTW and duration trends, information, data and analyses to assist them in developing and implementing effective programs and approaches which will improve disability management and return to work and positively impact persistency and injury rates.
Encourage and assist workplaces to build a network of job opportunities within own industry and identify placement opportunities to link workplaces to each other for disability management and return to work purposes

11. Work Reintegration Touch-points
Initial meeting between worker, CM & WTS – between
6-9 months
WTS workplace with WPPs
Vocational Assessment completed, if needed
Vocational Assessment discussed with WPPs
WT Plan approved – no later than 1yr
Adjust and amend WT
plan, as required
WT plan closure and RTW outcomes communicated
CM addresses RTW barriers
RTWS no later than 12wks
DOI
ELS assist with RTW Program Development, as needed
CM = Case Manager WTS = Work Transition Specialist
ELS = Employer Liaison Specialist RTWS = Return-to-Work Specialist
WPPs = Workplace Parties

12. Work Reintegration (WR) Policy Overview
Five interim principle-based WR policies and one draft NEER policy came into effect on December 1, 2010 and were developed to support the WSIB’s new WR program
Interim WR policies replace 24 existing policies covering ESRTW, re-employment and LMR
Intended to produce better return to work outcomes
Emphasis on greater accountability by workplace parties, and early WSIB involvement with ongoing support

13. Overview of Key Policy Concepts
Key Concepts
New/Re-emphasized
Retained
Maintaining pre-injury employment relationship 
Timely work transition assessments
Increased worker input and choice
Part-time or partial work capacity
More work transition pathways
Reasonable investments in retraining
Enhanced WT for young workers
Older worker option
Relocation assistance
WSIB’s role in supporting workplace parties
Accommodation support for small business
Suitable work (streamlined definition)
Available work
Accommodation requirements (streamlined)
Worker and employer non-co-operation penalties and employer re-employment penalties
All of the prior re-employment policies, including , 05, 06, 07, and 10, have been deleted and been replaced by

14. WPP Non-Co-operation Penalties
Initial Penalty
Full Penalty
Start of Penalty
Initial penalty applied seven business days after date of written notice of non-co-operation
If non-co-operation continues, full penalty applied 14 calendar days after initial penalty
Amount of Penalty —Worker
Wage loss benefits reduced by 50%
Wage loss benefits suspended, or if worker in WT, reduced to reflect the earnings of an experienced worker in the SO
Amount of Penalty —Employer
50% of the cost of wage loss benefits to the worker
100% of the cost of the worker’s wage loss benefits, plus
100% of any costs for providing WT services to the worker
Penalty ends
Initial penalty ends when workplace party renews co-operation, or after 14 calendar days, whichever comes first*
*for employers, initial penalty can also end if no further benefits are payable to the worker
Full penalty (worker) continues until worker starts co-operating
Full penalty (employer) continues until the earliest of
employer starts co-operating
date no further benefits are payable to the worker, or
12 months following date written notice comes into effect

15. Re-employment Penalties
Length of Obligation
Effective Date and Amount of Penalty
Penalty Reduction
Worker fit for essential duties of pre-injury job
Earliest of
two years after date of injury
one year after fit for essential, or
date worker reaches 65 years of age
Penalty applied seven business days after date of written notice
Amount of penalty is actual amount of worker’s net average earnings for year before the injury*
Penalty reduced by
50% if employer later offers suitable work at no wage loss, or
25% if employer offers suitable work at a wage loss
where the employment is maintained for the remainder of the obligation period
Worker only fit for suitable work
two years after date of injury, or
*Apportioned based on time left in obligation period
50% if employer later offers “less” suitable work at no wage loss
25% if employer offers “less” suitable work at a wage loss

16. Performance Measurement:
Introduction:
Institute for Work and Health (IWH) assisted in building the performance measurement and evaluation framework
Reporting has commenced and more will come
Data is building and maturing as more cases enter new program
Program is being refined based on early experience
Purpose:
To know if we’re doing better
Understand if our activities and strategies are producing intended results
To adjust and make mid-course corrections
Ensure success

17. WR Performance Measurement:
Levels of Monitoring and Reporting:
Establish accountability for results throughout the organization:
At the Corporate level
At the Business line/Divisional level
At the Team level
At the Individual level
At the Process level (including provider)
Methods:
Information/data analysis
Audits
Case
Provider
Surveys
Annual Ipsos Reid
Continuous by WSIB
Dimensions:
Quality Programs
Effective (correct, complete, results-oriented)
Efficient (timely and streamlined processes and services)
Credible
Individualized
Responsive
Integrated (activities/services)
Customer
Service
Perceived program value
Timeliness of service and decisions
Responsiveness to issues e.g. complaints
Achieved outcomes/quality
Transparency
Fairness
Ongoing engagement and communication
Cost Effectiveness
Demonstrated value for money
Managed costs (accountability)
Expenditures within forecast
WR Program
Performance Measures

18. Measurement Criteria
We have a comprehensive set of performance measures, for all dimensions and levels.
Some of the key measures are:
# and % of injured workers who RTW with injury employer and overall
# and % of injured workers who RTW within 3, 6, 12 months and 2, 4, & 6 years
Injured worker and employer satisfaction with WR services
Employed rate at end of work transition program
Costs of program vs. Benefit costs saved/avoided
Average cost of Work Transition programs overall and per employed worker
% of 100% LOE and overall average LOE at lock-in
Next Steps:
We’ll be preparing a quarterly report to share with stakeholders
We want to obtain stakeholder input into the Logic Model and will be firming up plans for this in May 2011

19. WR Program Quantitative Benefits
Early Intervention
Reduced Volumes
Older Worker Pathway
Reduced average referral time from 21mths for LMR to 9mths for Work Transition = 12mths LOE
Alignment of incentive programs
WSIB active support in workplace to locate suitable work = LOE
Increased usage of statutory
lock-in for workers over 55yrs+
= LOE

20. WR Program Quantitative Benefits
4. Time limits for retraining
5. Provider Fees
6. Annual Operating Costs
Reduces average program length by one month = 1mth LOE
Fixed fees for next 2-4 years = cost control
Elimination of Primary Service Providers = operating costs

21. WR Model Qualitative Benefits
Better integration with case management; increased agility to respond to performance trends;
Significant reduction in perverse influence of profit motivation on program behaviour
Increased simplicity of communication and co- ordination of services between WSIB and workers
Increased clarity of accountability
Greater assurance of workers getting the service they need when they need it

22. WR Model Qualitative Benefits
Significantly improved quality of education and training, giving workers credible credentials to seek employment
Provides for workers to have more self determination in vocational choices
Increased consistency of services provided in similar circumstances
Improved management of expectations and provides for a reasonable level of investment within clear cost parameters

23. Work Reintegration Division
Vice President
Judy Geary
Exec. Assist.
Nicole Lindo
Exec. Sec.
Christine Servello
Summer Student (3) - TBD
Director, WRP Development and Practice Lead WRP – Gail Kovacs
Director, Program & Provider Effectiveness – Linda Kelly
Business Assistant (Shared) - Alana Gregoire
Manager Program Development (1)
Manager, Labour Market Information(1)
Manager, Strategic Adult Education Alliance(1)
Manager, Quality Management – Maddy Roppoli
Manager, Evaluation – Sophia Voumvakis
Quality Management Specialist (8) – Fil Viviani, Nina Hadjas, Denise Chai-Chong, Michelle Beehari
Sr. Information Analyst (2) – James Brinker
Matthew Griffin
Program Development Specialist (3) –
Labour Market Information Specialist (4)
Program Development Specialist (1)
Information Analyst (1)
Contract Manager (2) –
Program Evaluation Analyst (2) –
Complaints Officer (2) – Breda Neher
4/17/2017

24. Work Reintegration Division approach
To do “with” and not “for” or “to”
Stakeholder identification and engagement processes
Focus on customer service
Full transparency and integration
Clear and consistent communications
Leadership by example

25. Overview of Program Development
Leadership
Research and Development
Promotion / communications
Integration

26. Leadership
Researching and developing best practice
Leading on projects / committees
Providing Professional expertise / opinion
Building positive relationships – internally / externally
Providing technical support to service delivery
Professionalizing resources
Leading by example

27. Research and Development
Identifying emerging trends
Identifying gaps, issues and innovations
Determining best (better) practice
Recommending new programs / services or change to existing ones
Setting and reviewing standards
Developing guidelines, policies, procedures, briefing materials, formats, templates
Responding to sensitive issues

28. Promotion and communications
Developing communication strategies
Creating partnerships
Educating internal and external stakeholders
Promoting service and delivery
And with Program and Provider Effectiveness (PPE)
Collecting and evaluating data
Developing and managing CQI processes
Managing risk

29. Adult Education and Labour Market
Strategic roles
Keeping current and projecting trends
Researching best practice and recommending new programs and processes to external stakeholders to meet worker, employer and WSIB needs
Liaising with external stakeholders in order to collect information, develop and share best practice and influence direction
Providing guidance and advice based on expertise to Service Delivery and complaints officer

30. Program Development initiatives
Guidelines for EPS Providers and WSIB staff around motivation, cooperation and consent
Guidelines related to disclosing worker criminal records
Accessibility responsibilities within the Colleges
Template for College Progress Reports
Guidelines/expectations around Standardized assessments
Fine tuning of Transferable Skills Inventory / Analysis
Strategy for assisting workers with narcotic related issues
Strategy for collaborating with CPP
Removal of the stigma attached to “older workers”

31. Professionalization Professional Definition Scope of Practice
Standards of Practice
Values
Competencies
Code of Ethics
Disciplinary process
Education
Credentials
Continuous Professional Development
Association / Membership

32. Work Reintegration Contacts
Judy Geary –
Gail Kovacs –
Linda Kelly –
Joanne Webb –
Mike Curtis –
John Mutch –

33. Questions