Return-to-Work

Washington and Lee is committed to helping employees remain healthy and on the job. The university and employees will work together to help employees return to work from injuries or illnesses sustained on or off the job. *This does not apply to employees injured in a secondary occupation external to W&L.*

It is our policy that all accidents should be reported promptly and thoroughly investigated, and that appropriate action should be taken to prevent similar events from recurring.

In fulfilling Washington and Lee's commitment to provide a safe and healthy working environment, a Return-to-Work Program helps employees who sustain workplace injuries and cannot work at full capacity. This program helps the employee and supervisor develop a temporary, modified, less demanding duty assignment in cases where these modifications do not create undue hardship for the university. The program may involve modifying the employee's regular job or providing an alternate one, depending on the employee's physical abilities.

Similar temporary, modified duty assignments may also be offered to employees who suffer a non-job-related injury or illness, if a position can be modified or an alternate position is available and these modifications do not create undue hardship for the university.

An employee participating in this program may be required to provide Washington and Lee with a physician's statement specifying the nature, extent, and expected duration of an employee's functional limitations as relevant to their job description. 

Human Resources staff will work with an employee and supervisor to evaluate each employee's injuries and functional limitations on a case-by-case basis to determine if suitable modified-duty work is available. Such assignments may require a shift change if modified-duty work is only available on an alternate shift, or on a temporary basis in another department on campus.

An individual may participate in the Return-to-Work Program for a maximum of 12 consecutive weeks per illness/injury. Exceptions to this time frame may be permitted based on the physician's estimate of when the employee may return to the regular job or where an employee's injury qualifies as a disability under the ADA and extension of time does not create an undue hardship for the university.  

The Human Resources Office is responsible for administering this program working interactively with the employee and supervisor. The Human Resources Office is available to answer questions and provide guidance.