Congratulations to us all as we enter this new school year!
I applaud injured employees, district contacts, and our WCT staff for collaborating with each other so well to achieve an overall return-to-work accommodation rate of approximately 80% for the 2020-21 school year. A great feat!
The meaningful and creative workarounds many of you found to keep staff working while buildings were closed is commendable. Due to our joint efforts, our Trust was invited to speak nationally at this winter’s Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) conference on our return-to-work program. Working with quantitative and qualitative data and representing your excellent work, I will be sharing information to support a message of how a return-to-work culture change can reduce time off from work, decrease costs, increase a worker’s self-worth, and provide a supportive healing environment surrounded by peers. Thank you to all for helping me prepare for this opportunity to be the messenger of return-to-work best practices.
Please join me for a local review of this presentation on October 21st at 10am! Learn more here.
For the 20 Districts participating in the Return-to-Work Incentive Program (RTWIP), there is approximately $1.3 million in allocations to apply for because of your best practice efforts over the last year. You have until December 31, 2021, to submit your RTWIP application packet! Eligible claims are workers with restrictions who were provided accommodations allowing them to do their own job or alternate tasks within the 2020-2021 school year (9/1/20 – 8/31/21).
Please check your Origami member dashboard for qualified claims that may be eligible for reimbursement. You will also find your RTWIP application in the file section of your member page.
Best wishes for a successful and meaningful new school year! I look forward to working with you all.
For more information about the RTWIP, contact Return-to-Work Manager, Aliza Hauser.
