Deck 13: Disability Management and Return to Work

Question 1

Asher is a return-to-work coordinator. Today he is considering how the demands of an airline mechanic's job relate to an injured mechanic's current physical ability in an effort to design a modified work plan. What tools is Asher using?

A)a job analysis and a functional ability assessment
B)physical demands analysis and a functional ability assessment
C)physical demands analysis and a medical report
D)a job analysis and a medical report

Answer 1

physical demands analysis and a functional ability assessment

Question 2

Professionals with sufficient experience working in disability management and with the appropriate education can write national exams to earn which of the following certifications?

A)Certified Physical Demands Analyst
B)Certified Light-Duty Worker Expert
C)Certified Return to Work Coordinator
D)Certified Work Accommodator

Answer 2

Certified Return to Work Coordinator

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of light-duty work, assigned due to a back injury?

A)a chef taking a leave of absence to write a cookbook
B)a hairdresser resuming work on a part-time basis
C)a road worker shifting to the road signal part of the crew (stop/go signal)
D)a nurse taking a new job in over the phone healthcare (Telehealth)

Answer 3

a road worker shifting to the road signal part of the crew (stop/go signal)

Question 4

Which of the following terms is associated with "proactive practices with the goals of preventing or reducing workplace disability, intervening early in the face of risk or injury, and providing coordinated management and rehabilitation functions to promote worker's recovery and safe timely return to work"?

A)systems approach
B)disability management
C)duty to accommodate
D)workplace accommodation

Question 5

What should supervisors avoid saying when the injured worker comes back to work?

A)"How are you feeling today?"
B)"So, tell me all about your occupational therapy program."
C)"There are some changes that I would like to go over with you."
D)"A number of your coworkers have said they will be happy to help you settle back in."

Question 6

Anthony is an IT technician who injured his neck while installing a large new system. After several weeks' recovery time he is returning to work under his physician's care for a probationary period to see if he can withstand the demands of his job. What is Anthony's modified work arrangement best defined as?

A)light duty work
B)gradual work exposure
C)work trial
D)supported and sheltered work

Question 7

Symptom severity and general health are considered part of which of the following indicators?

A)associated costs
B)duration of the work disability
C)rates of safety incidents and occupational illness
D)quality of life

Question 8

When can a disability management program be most effective?

A)It is funded by the government.
B)It is supportive of safety initiatives.
C)It is managed by an external consultant.
D)It is legally motivated.

Question 9

What is the key benefit to senior management from integrated claims management?

A)data on safety and disability management performance
B)identification of employees with injuries
C)easier planning for return-to-work
D)tracking where an injured worker is in the recovery and rehabilitation process

Question 10

For supported and sheltered work, which of the following are likely to be required to meet the duty to accommodate?

A)temporary changes to work tasks and temporary changes to the work environment
B)temporary changes to work tasks and permanent changes to the work environment
C)permanent changes to work tasks and temporary changes to the work environment
D)permanent changes to work tasks and permanent changes to the work environment

Question 11

How does case management facilitate the recovery of an injured worker?

A)through arrangement of quick, low-cost treatment
B)by motivating them to want to return to work
C)by coordinating care from different providers
D)by working with stakeholders on job redesign

Question 12

Arjun is recovering from a hip injury sustained in a fall at work. He has asked his physician to complete a form that details Arjun's ability to perform job tasks. Which of the following is the physician completing?

A)a WCB claim
B)an insurer status report
C)a physical demands analysis
D)a functional ability assessment

Question 13

Linh is a consultant who trains human resource managers on issues relating to disability management. She starts her sessions with a reminder of the legislated responsibility of employers to accommodate workers who are attempting to return to work following an injury or illness. She notes that this can occur via changes in job tasks and/or the work environment to enable workers with a temporary or permanent disability to perform work productively. Which of the following is Linh reminding the HR managers of?

A)human rights charters
B)due diligence
C)undue hardship
D)the duty to accommodate

Question 14

Each year approximately how many workplace incidents occur worldwide?

A)104 million
B)127 million
C)317 million
D)510 million

Question 15

Roohani is returning to work after a month and a half. What stage would her absence fall into, according to the textbook?

A)acute
B)chronic
C)subacute
D)subchronic

Question 16

What is the key benefit to the worker from integrated claims management?

A)more money
B)less concern about rehabilitation
C)more timely resolution of the claim
D)not having to deal with the people at workers' compensation

Question 17

Who is often overlooked when planning modified work arrangements for an injured worker?

A)the worker's family
B)the worker's coworkers
C)the worker's family physician
D)the worker's union representative

Question 18

Sofia is a psychology graduate student whose research project assesses the impact of disability management programs. Which of the following outcome factors is she LEAST likely to include in her research?

A)quality of life
B)duration of injury
C)costs associated with injury
D)incident reports from the original incident leading to the injury

Question 19

Jamal owns a medium sized trucking company. He argues that he is not able to accommodate a worker who lost a leg in highway crash because his fleet does not include modified vehicles and it would be inconvenient to source and purchase the adapted equipment. Jamal's arguments do not meet the standard of which of the following?

A)modified work
B)duty to accommodate
C)due diligence
D)undue hardship

Question 20

Tarek is returning to work after six months off following an acute back injury at work ultimately requiring surgery. What organizational practice may sabotage his return by making him feel stigmatized?

A)changing his job to accommodate his current capabilities
B)posting photos of workers with perfect safety records in the cafeteria
C)holding an educational session for all workers on carpal tunnel syndrome
D)timing his return to coincide with a company picnic or other social event

Question 21

Canada does not currently have a federal law that protects persons with disabilities..

Question 22

Which of the following is the aspect of human rights legislation that means employers must accommodate the needs of a disabled worker unless the modification would lead to health and safety difficulties or present unsustainable economic or efficiency costs?

A)duty to accommodate
B)disability management clause
C)due diligence
D)undue hardship

Question 23

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the only mechanism by which persons with disabilities are protected from discrimination.

Question 24

Describe at least two common types of modified work arrangements and give an example of each.

Question 25

Governments support disability management programs through legislation.

Question 26

Which of the following is a physical demands analysis best completed by?

A)the treating physician
B)the injured worker
C)someone highly familiar with the job
D)a supervisor

Question 27

Disability management programs are viewed as more successful when injured workers report exhibit fewer symptoms.

Question 28

Health care providers being too busy to file paperwork is a barrier to the return to work.

Question 29

A functional ability assessment is sometimes called a functional capacity evaluation.

Question 30

Part of a return-to-work coordinator's role is to assist injured or ill employees with applying for financial benefits.

Question 31

Explain the concept of an integrated claims management and monitoring system and describe the benefits of having one as part of disability management.

Question 32

List the seven types of stakeholders in disability management, and explain their role in an early and safe return to work. (Note: you can choose to have students list all seven, but explain only three or four roles if a shorter answer is desirable.)

Question 33

What might be a prudent way for Wenxi to find out if going back to the same job is a viable option after a few weeks of treatment for an anxiety disorder?

A)a work trial
B)supportive work
C)light duty work
D)work hardening

Question 34

A value of disability management programming is reduced incidence and impact of workplace injury and illness.

Question 35

What five financial and social indicators reflect the impact of workplace disability?

Question 36

What is the systems approach to disability management?

Question 37

Ellie sustained a traumatic brain injury following a fall from a ladder at her job as assistant manager in a sporting goods store. Ellie was not able to return to her previous job and now works with close supervision in a small convenience store. Which of the following best describes Ellie's accommodation?

A)light duty work
B)gradual work exposure
C)work trial
D)supported and sheltered work

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT considered a best practice in disability management?

A)early intervention
B)full recovery
C)prevention focus
D)RTW case management

Question 39

Ray has returned to a less demanding role at the farm where he works following a neck injury. His return-to-work plan reflects supported and sheltered work.

Question 40

Focusing solely on individual employees is a systems approach to disability management.

Question 41

Nathan Steinberg has just become the new HR manager at a large nursery, which happens to be one of Canada's largest growers of potted plants. Their company sells traditional and seasonal products on a year-round basis to smaller garden centres as well as to large chain retailers. The company has grown rapidly over the past five years, but, as part of his review of the company's HR situation, Nathan has noted a rising trend of disability claims, often due to recurring injuries, that are keeping workers off the job multiple times for extended periods of time. How should he go about changing this situation in a way that will protect and restore worker health while supporting the company's growth? Put together a short-term and a long-term plan, using the best practices identified in disability management research.