2024-02-23 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

Home

Merit Appeals Board February 23, 2024 I would have to look at that to really be MS. MATHEWS: Actually, I was trying do is to put it on a ratio. You have y -number of people against x -number of people—and this one isso, that's what I was after. It was that ratio of we have 3,000 people that are gainfully working for the County at the moment, and we had 474 and now we have 2,800. So, there's less and your 246 that makes you look even better. MS. TOKIHIRO: Right. Yes. So it's yeah, under 10% at this point of total employees—as far as the representation of worker's compensation claims, but I could now I'm interested in that statistic, so I'm going to go back and find it. Because if it was 15 before and it's 10 now that's something. CHR. CABANAS: How do the cases get closed? Are those through settlements or MS. TOKIHIRO: Sometimes. There's a lot of times where someone will have an injury, they get the medical treatment that they need. They may not even have any lost time from work and they're able to go back to their permanent position. And after the medical treatment resolves, then we're able to just close the claim. In some cases, there're settlements. In some cases, it's decisions by the Department of Labor. And so, a variety of methods. But as for the actively monitoring, reviewing all of the medical reports, looking at the status, following-up to get independent exams to see what the anticipated timeframe for medical stability is, and then just actively following it—getting those evaluations scheduled. And then, as soon as we get the reports making—taking action on that. CHR. CABANAS: Are job placements still occurring when you have those that cannot return to their usual and customary? MS. TOKIHIRO: Yes. So, the Return -to -Work Program allows us to provide our employees light duty while they are continuing to receive the medical treatment. And so, through light duty, that gives the opportunity for someone to gradually increase their the number of days that they work per week, the hours that they work, and increase their physical capabilities as well. So, the goal being that they can, eventually, be—get up to the level, they can perform all of the duties of their permanent position. But for our employees that have permanent restrictions that preclude them from returning to their permanent position, they have the opportunity to participate in the County's Priority Placement Program. So, initial job search would occur for 45 days at the department level. And then, if there's no suitable vacant position at the department level, then they can be referred to the Department of Human Resources for Countywide job search and that occurs for the next four - and -a -half months. The total Priority Placement Program is six -months in duration. So, hopefully, at the end of that six-month period, we would have identified a suitable placement but, if not, the County is still obligated to provide services to enable that individual to return to suitable, gainful employment. So, if it's not with the County, it would be with the assistance of a Page 24