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Are THEY ready? Preparing the work group for the return of an injured
employee
Alexina Baldini - Psychologist
16th September 2008
SIAV conference
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OutlineOutline
• Preparation of the team and workplace – prior, during, after injury
• Workplace systems – micro, meso, macro
• Identify issues relevant to the particular work group – physical, behavioural, social, cognitive, emotional/psychological, existential
• Managing the issues for integration
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Preparation prior to injuryPreparation prior to injury
• Policy• Procedures• Occupational Health and Safety
structures• Communication• Privacy• Confidentiality• Training/support of management and
peers
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Preparation continuesPreparation continues
• During the injury period• Clear Critical Incident Response/support for all
involved• In the immediate hours following injury
• Psychological First Aid• Mental Health First Aid• Physical First Aid
• During the first few days and weeks• Meaningful contact• Updating and ‘keeping in mind’
• Over the months and years
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Preparation – keeping the end Preparation – keeping the end in sightin sight
• What will the successful integration of the injured worker look like?
• How will work group members behave when that is achieved?
• What are the specific steps involved?• How will the work group celebrate
this achievement?• How will the support team record this
for history? Learning?
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Perceptions of the barriers and Perceptions of the barriers and facilitators for RTWfacilitators for RTW
Health Services System
Workplace System
Injured worker system
Adapted from Friesen, Yassi & Cooper (2001) Return-to-work: Human interactions and organisational structures Work, 17, 11-22
Economic, Social, Legislative systems
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Micro-systemMicro-system
• The injured employee• Attitude• Behaviours• Personal/Family• Empowerment• Demographics• Characteristics• Pre-injury work• Performance
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Meso-systemsMeso-systems
• Workplace system• Union-management agreement/relationship• Workplace milieu• RTW program/policies/resources• Teamwork and communication• Organisational structure• “Buy-in” of all stakeholder groups• Personality factors• Trust and credibility• RTW team “sense of ownership”
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Meso-systems (continued)Meso-systems (continued)
• Health Services System• Communication• Teamwork• Resources• Delays• Trust• Continual need for education
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Macro-systemMacro-system
• Economic• Funding issues for health practitioners eg.
Impact of Medicare rebates on some professions
• Social• Workplace restructuring• Generational differences
• Legislative• Compensation parameters• Injured worker legislation
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Identify issues for THIS work Identify issues for THIS work groupgroup
• Individualised assessment – not one size fits all• BUT – the principles help!• Look at broad areas: physical, behavioural, social
(observable) then those that you need to listen out for:
• Cognitive – what are they thinking?• Emotional – how are they feeling?• Psychological – how do those feelings
impact? • Existential – what ‘big picture’ messages
about the workplace are they taking away from what is happening or planned to happen?
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PhysicalPhysical
• Seating arrangements• Work location• Parking• Access• Equipment• Hours of work• Rostering preferential treatment• Lighting• Noise
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BehaviouralBehavioural
• Proximity
• Duration and intensity of contact
• Communication considerations
• Acceptance behaviours
• Inclusion behaviours
• Interdependence of work group members
• Goals of work group
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SocialSocial
• Connections within the work group• Key supports within and outside the
group for the injured employee• History of connections between sub-
groups• Predicted impact the return of the
injured employee has on the overall group dynamics
• Desired group dynamic development
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CognitiveCognitive
• Fears – helping people to express what is on their mind in a constructive non-judgmental manner
• Concerns - about future capacity to function
• Education around signs, symptoms and support strategies
• Ongoing training and development in enhancing work group performance
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EmotionalEmotional
• Need for reassurance – particularly for middle management
• Approachability – that no aspect of the return to work process cannot be talked about/raised with key personnel
• Relationships – imperative to help all members of the work group feel that they belong and are valued
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PsychologicalPsychological
• Rejection versus acceptance• Resentment versus embracing the
challenge of integrating the injured worker
• Blame of management/RTW personnel versus empowerment of team members
• Rumours versus clear communication of the needs of all
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ExistentialExistential
• Importance of work in a person’s life
• Integral role of successful return to work initiatives to the overall workplace culture
• Professed values of the workplace versus values demonstrated in action
• Individual values including empathy and other-centredness
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Two injured employeesTwo injured employees
• Both female nurses
• Both in mid 30’s
• Both mothers of young children
• Both soft tissue injuries – back/neck
• Both in workplace for more than five years
• Both well liked and respected
• Both skilled in their professional role
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Two work groupsTwo work groups
• Quick access to expert health professionals
• Management effectively communicating with staff every day
• Open communication between work group members
• Strong achievement history of work group
• Clear identity as a collaborative group
• Quick access but frequent changes in health professionals
• Management ‘waiting to retire’
• Infrequent staff meetings – often cancelled or postponed
• Work group members needing to ‘watch their backs’
• Suspicion, ingroups and outgroups
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IntegrationIntegration
• Initially returned to work after a week but needed to take more time off
• Returned part time after three weeks
• Gradual incremental time and complexity of tasks increased over two months
• Fully back three months later
• Team celebrated her full return
• Did not return to work until four months later
• Found she was “on the outer” and that it was difficult to find out information
• Struggled to feel that she was part of the team and vice versa
• Often cited her injury as the reason she could not do tasks
• Open resentment from team members
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Promoting worker healthPromoting worker health
• Teamwork is vital – facets include:• Emotional Stability
• Adjustment• Self-esteem
• Extraversion• Dominance• Affiliation• Social perceptiveness• Expressivity
• Openness• Flexibility
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Promoting worker health Promoting worker health (continued)(continued)
• Agreeableness• Trust• Cooperation
• Conscientiousness• Dependability• Dutifulness• Achievement
Driskell, Goodwin, Salas, O’Shea (2006) What makes a good team player? Personality and team effectiveness Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 10, 249-271
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Managing the issuesManaging the issues
Preparation for integration from orientation of a new work group member – expecting successful outcomes and working towards them
• Valuing the RTW process – at every level of the organisation
• Individualised assessment of each situation • Communication – consistent and open• Coaching – of work group and worker• Positive relationships between stakeholders