Section 1

Work Ready ™

Work Ready is a comprehensive proactive program designed to help employers develop an efficient way to control their cost of risk.  Work Ready entails a focus on employee (and/or employee applicant) fitness for duty.  This is achieved through multiple methods ranging from defining physical demands of essential job functions and matching employee candidates to those requirements through injury management and employee conditioning.  

The process involves defined features for each phase of risk control starting with pre/post hire opportunities to post injury best practices as seen here:

The objective of the Work Ready program is to provide employers with clearly identified opportunities to control their overall cost of risk.   Work Ready is a program that focuses on providing economical hiring along with injury management methods that are grounded in the application of established laws and procedures.

Risk Control (AKA Cost Control) for claims management can start as early as “Pre-Hire” assessments and/or may include pre or post-offer assessments, injury and claims management procedures and continued employee conditioning for their essential functions.

By identifying physical demands and advancing only qualified and willing applicants based on their abilities to meet these requirements, employers can eliminate the time and expenses associated with non-qualified applicants. 

Pre-offer assessments are the most efficient method to control the cost efficiencies associated with hiring, especially in high employee turnover situations.  Additionally, by proceeding with only qualified applicants, employers reduce their risk of employees being injured while performing essential job functions.   

Overview

• Employers can best control their injury exposure by knowing the physical demands of essential job functions and pairing the most appropriate personnel with those requirements.
• Employers have the right to assess applicants’ abilities to perform the essential functions of a job on a pre-offer and pre-hire (post-offer) basis.
• Employers can simulate job tasks and work environments for assessment purposes.
• In the US, employers have been performing this level of assessment for over 100 years.
• Employers can appropriately implement First aid controls prior to, and sometimes instead of, sending employees through the work comp process if applicable for the injury. This may be of increased value for muscle skeletal conditions where early intervention may avoid more extensive injury and/or treatment.
• Through validated physical demands and baseline information of employees, claims management practices may be more efficient.

What Does Work Ready™ Do?

Work Ready provides a process that will design the appropriate pre-offer testing based on validated job functions and simulations of work tasks based on the essential job functions for each job position.

Work Ready provides you with methods and experienced professional resources for each part of the process.

Section 2 

What Are Pre-Hire Assessments?

Pre-hire assessments are assessments that can be performed as early in the hiring process as “Pre-Offer” or “Post-Offer”.  Note:  Post offer assessments must be completed as pre-hire (and as a condition of hire). Innovise can provide you with guidance on the process and pair you with appropriate legal and medical guidance resources. 

A team of experienced professionals will develop pre-hire testing procedures based on onsite information provided by the employer.  These protocols will then be verified by the employer and the Work Ready team. 

Pre-hire assessments are developed based on rules established by:

• ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
• FMLA – Family and Medical Leave Act
• ADEA – Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• USERRA – Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
• EEOC – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Simulation tests (assessments) are developed where you can assess applicants and decline non-satisfactory applicants while advancing appropriate applicants through your hiring process.  By processing only able and willing applicants, there is less time and expense spent on additional pre/post hire screening.

Benefits

• Reduce hiring resources by focusing only on applicants physically (and emotionally) able to complete essential job functions.
• Control cost of hiring:
  • Focus only on qualified/capable applicants with a desire and abilities to perform tasks as defined.
  • Employers can perform pre-offer test at their location with their personnel.
  • Only offer position to those applicants that pass screening, contingent on:
    • Ability to safely perform essential functions
    • Desire to work in the defined environment(s)
  • Save expense of additional pre/post offer screening by moving forward only with qualified candidates
    • Physical Assessment
    • Drug & Alcohol
    • Background check
  • Post-offer (per-hire) screening is completed by a qualified medical provider resource and should include physical assessments including range of motion.

• Control total cost of risk
  • When combined with a complete screening and hiring process, employers:
    • Have employees that are able to perform the essential functions of their job.
    • Have employees that are less likely to injure themselves while performing essential job functions.
    • Have a comprehensive assessment and baseline of employees’ physical abilities.
    • Do not have to pay for pre-existing limitations on a post injury basis.

Section 3

What Employers Should Know

Everyone in business understands the ever-increasing need to continuously become more efficient throughout their entire operation.  The hiring process is often overlooked as an opportunity for efficiency due to perceived needs, costs, fear of the unknown, or simply not knowing there are alternatives to traditional hiring methods.

Employers have a well-established right to assess applicants prior to making any job offer with a process that has been in place and utilized by public sector (police/fire) entities for over 100 years. 

There is no known case law where employers were penalized for proper use the processes as required by the controlling agencies. 

The Work Ready validation process guides employers to ensure testing/assessments are in line with the performance of essential functions. 

As other testing programs are falling out of favor due to expense and limited utility, the Work Ready model continues to be embraced by industry leading employers due to its deep-seated roots in the application of the regulations.

How does Work Ready compare with other more traditional processes?

Work Ready allows you to control expenses by focusing resources and expenses on only qualified candidates.  The table below helps to identify where costs occur over the hiring and employment cycle.

The table below helps to identify the overall process and timing of assessments.

Section 4

Employee Condition – Fit for Duty

Current employees may be assessed in a similar process as applicants or new employees (pre/post offer assessments) when they are applying for new or different positions within the company.  This process is reliant on the employer following similar processes for job descriptions, physical demands and applicant testing. 

Additionally, employers may impellent programs for assessing current employees fitness for duty based on factors such as job absence, injury, reduced job performance and related items.

Innovise and your Work Ready providers can assist you in developing your specific strategy and programs.

Section 5

How Can Work Ready Help You with Injury Management?

Innovise has taken a wholistic approach in developing the “Work Ready” concept to help you control your cost exposures.  This comprehensive process works best if completed in it is entirety.  However, every company has different needs and considerations along with varying levels of controls.  Each aspect has an impact on your overall cost and control and may be completed ala-cart to best match your company needs and appetite for risk control.

In addition to the pre-hire screening processes, Innovise will work with you to develop and implement First Aid procedures and pair you with medical providers who know and understand the regulations and requirements for First Aid as it relates to workplace injuries and regulatory agencies.  This includes procedures for early intervention of minor muscle skeletal injuries.

Additionally, Innovise will assist you with your Workers Compensation injuries from a claims management perspective to help you work with your claims adjuster and control the claim.