Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide a return-to-work environment that accommodates an employee's transition to full duty following an injury, illness, or other medical condition that precludes the employee from performing his/her assigned, regular duties.

Authority

Code of Virginia Section 23.1-1301, as amended, grants authority to the Board of Visitors to establish rules and regulations for the institution. Section 7.01(a)(6) of the Board of Visitors Bylaws grant authority to the President to implement the policies and procedures of the Board relating to University operations.

Executive Order 109 (2010) of January 8, 2009 - Workplace Safety and Employee Health

Definitions

Adjunct Faculty - Employees appointed to academic adjunct ranks who teach part time and whose compensation is based upon the number of credit hours taught.

Administrative and Professional (AP) Faculty - Employees who perform work directly related to the management of the educational and general activities of the institution, department or subdivision or whose professional positions serve the educational, research, athletic, medical, student affairs, and development functions or activities of the institution.

Classified Employee - A salaried employee whose terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Virginia Personnel Act, Code of Virginia Section 2.2-2900 et seq., as amended, and who is employed in a classified position.

Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) - State agency tasked with providing policies that govern the management of the State's workforce.

Faculty - Employees whose work assignments primarily involve instruction, research, and scholarly activities, and who hold academic rank/titles (with departmental designation) of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, senior lecturer, lecturer, instructor, or the equivalent of any of these academic ranks.

Hiring Supervisor - The management level with the authority to hire, assign work, manage work schedules, approve leave, evaluate employees, and discipline employees.

Personal Injury, Illness or Medical Condition - An injury, illness or medical condition not arising from the course of an employee's employment or performance of assigned duties.

Regular Duty - The duties assigned to an employee in his/her position description or in the case of faculty as defined in the Faculty Handbook.

Wage Employee - A non-salaried employee who receives pay for hours worked and is not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. (Wage employees are sometimes referred to as hourly employees.) Wage employees have no guarantee of employment for a particular term or a particular daily or weekly work schedule; they serve at the will of the designated hiring official and may be terminated at any time.

Work-related Injury - An injury arising from the course of an employee's employment or performance of assigned duties.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees. Employees include all staff, administrators, faculty, full- or part-time (including adjunct faculty), and classified or non-classified persons who are paid by the University.

Policy Statement

Old Dominion University is committed to providing temporary return-to-work duty assignments and, to the extent possible, assisting employees by temporarily modifying work assignments or duties or arranging for a temporary transfer until the employee is medically released to resume regular duties.

This policy shall be applied throughout Old Dominion University in situations when a salaried, full- or part-time faculty member (including adjunct faculty), AP faculty member, or classified employee is temporarily restricted in the performance of his/her regular duties due to personal injury, illness or medical condition, or a work-related injury.

This policy may be applied, at the discretion of the supervisor, in situations when a wage employee is temporarily restricted in the performance of his/her regular duties as directed by an authorized medical provider, due to personal injury, illness or medical condition, or a work-related injury.

Classified and wage employees shall not be assigned to return-to-work assignments above their pay band.

Return-to-work assignments shall not jeopardize the employee's healing or recovery process or in any way go beyond prescribed medical restrictions.

Procedures

Refer to University Return-to-Work Procedures.

Records Retention

Return-to-work notifications sent to employees are retained for five years and then destroyed in compliance with the Commonwealth's Records Retention and Disposition Schedule (General Schedule 102, Series 200113).

Responsible Officer

Assistant Director of Human Resources for Benefits Services

Related Information

Virginia Sickness & Disability Program (VSDP)

Virginia Department of Human Resource Management Office of Workers' Compensation

Virginia Department of Human Resource Management Return-to-Work Procedures

Virginia Department of Human Resource Management Leave Policies

University Policy 6050 - Family and Medical Leave Act Policy

University Policy 6302 - Civil and Administrative Leave for Administrative and Professional Faculty, Classified Staff, and Wage Employees

University Policy 6303 - Emergency Disaster Leave

University Policy 6304 - Military Leave

University Policy 6305 - School Assistance and Volunteer Service Leave

University Policy 6306 - Immediate Recognition

Department of Human Resources Classified Leave & Leave Reporting

Worker's Compensation Procedures