Policies and Procedures Handbook


Last Updated: 5/25/2005
Garrett County Public Schools
40 South Second Street
Oakland, MD 21550
(301)334-8900

ASSIGNMENT OF MODIFIED DUTY

Administrative Procedure

Assignment of Modified Duty:
A.  Unless totally disabled, an employee recovering from injury or illness will be considered for assignment to modified duty consistent with his/her employee
     classification, physical capacities and medical restrictions.
B.  When an appropriate assignment is not available, the employee shall be given other job tasks to perform that accommodate his/her restrictions at the same pay grade.
C.  When the Board is unable to accommodate the recovering employee's restrictions, he/she will remain on accident or sick leave as appropriate until such time as the
     Board can identify an appropriate placement or the employee's condition improves sufficiently to allow him/her to be assigned.

Limitations:
A.  A modified duty assignment shall never become permanent. If maximum medical improvement is reached, and the employee's physical condition prevents him/her
     from returning to the former full-time duty assignment, re-assignment to a new position may be considered. All Garrett County Board of Education guidelines
     regarding position changes will apply.
B.  A worker whose injury or illness will prevent him/her from ever returning to the previously held full duty assignment will not be considered for modified duty.
C.  A recovering worker may not be assigned work tasks inconsistent with the physician's medical restrictions.
D.  The Board may, at any time, refer the recovering worker for an independent medical evaluation to verify the recovering worker's need to continue modified duties. In the
     event that the Board's physician's evaluation differs from that of the treating physician, the Board's physician's opinion will prevail.

Procedures:
A. After an absence of three or more consecutive duty days due to an illness or injury, an employee shall submit an original physician's certificate (statement) that
    enumerates the medical restrictions that would prevent the employee from returning to his/her full duty assignment as well as projected return to work dates for both
    full time, normal duties and modified duty. Subsequent medical documentation is due at the end of each pay period until the employee returns to full-time normal duty
    assignment.
B. The Workers' Compensation Monitoring Committee will conduct an assessment of the employee's job functions and identify the specific physical requirements as well
     as identify any reasonable accommodations that would enable the recovering worker to return to full-time regular duties.
C. The Workers' Compensation Monitoring Committee shall review the return to duty information supplied by the physician and the physical requirements of Board of

     Education jobs/needs in order to determine an appropriate assignment for the recovering worker.
D. The Personnel Office will notify the recovering employee in writing of his/her modified duty assignment and work with the employee and his/her supervisor to review the

    duties to be performed and work restrictions which may apply.
E. The Personnel Director will maintain accurate records of all information regarding employees assigned modified duty and verify that subsequent medical documentation

    continues to support that assignment.
F. If the Board is unable to assign the recovering employee to a modified duty or make accommodations for return to regular duties the employee may use workers'
    compensation or sick leave as appropriate, until such time as the employee may return to work, modified or otherwise.
G. Training functions (either as trainer or trainee) and related reading or videos may be considered an appropriate assignments for some recovering employees.

 


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Business Affairs 728.51 HML
 Adopted 10/12/93