We are fortunate to have worked with an injured worker who was willing to give us his opinion and tell us about his transitional duty experience while working at an NFP. Joe* sustained a shoulder injury, which required surgical intervention and left him with very challenging restrictions that his employer could not accommodate. Joe's employer agreed to pay him to volunteer at a local Goodwill store while he recovered, and eventually transitioned him back to his pre-injury job.
Without further ado, we give you Joe's story, in his own words:
What type of work did you perform as transitional duty?
“The type of work I did was a little bit of everything, what I did most of was what Goodwill calls purging. I just went through the clothes on display the racks and pulled out the old items and took them to the back to be sent to the main distribution center in Indy. I also sorted clothes and different items as they came in and put them out on the display shelves for sale.”
As an injured worker in this program, how did it benefit you?
“My biggest benefit was making new friends and having something to keep me busy during my recovery. My overall impression is that this is a good program for someone that will be off work for more than a couple weeks. It got me out of the house and gave me something to do besides sitting around being bored. I met a lot of good people and had fun doing it.”
Do you have any advice for other injured workers or employers who are considering this option?
“I would recommend this program to anyone that understands their limits while recovering from an injury. Go into this with an open mind. I was totally against doing this when it was first mentioned, but decided that since I had to I would make the best of it and I ended up enjoying what I did.”
Joe also recommends that injured worker's be sure to communicate their work restrictions to their supervisor if they are unsure of their ability to perform an activity. Site supervisors are given a copy of the injured worker's restrictions, but just as with any modified duty RTW, the injured worker should speak up if they question their ability to perform any task they are assigned.
When we followed up with Joe, he indicated that he plans to continue his volunteering relationship with the Goodwill at which he was placed! Joe’s testimonial clearly demonstrates the positive impact that modified duty work can have on an injured worker's psychological, physical, and social well-being. While every situation and every injury is unique, it is our hope that every injured worker has a positive experience in this program.
If you are interested in learning more about our transitional duty, please contact your Eastern Alliance Claim Representative, or check out these related posts:
Thank you again to Joe, and to his employer for supporting his return to wellness.
* Name has been changed for the sake of anonymity
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