Vocational Assessments - Working after Injury or Redundancy

A vocational assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of an individual’s transferable skills, qualifications and interests. This evaluation aims to identify potential future employment and/or training options. A vocational assessment is used when an injury or redundancy prevents the individual from returning to their previous employment.

Vocational Assessments & Injury

Sustaining an injury at work is a traumatic experience, especially if your employee is no longer fit for their role. An early return to work is beneficial for the employee, however redeployment may be your best option for achieving this. In this instance, a vocational assessment can be used.

In a vocational assessment, an occupational rehabilitation provider analyses the injured employee’s existing skills. This analysis aims to find alternative employment that is more suitable to their needs post-injury. This includes identifying skill gaps and devising a plan for how address these gaps in knowledge.

How Vocational Assessments Work

Workers compensation legislation states that every reasonable effort must be made to find suitable equivalent employment post-injury. A vocational assessment allows you to adhere to the legislation using the following steps:

1. Refer your injured worker to KINNECT who will conduct a transferrable skills assessment to identify suitable employment options. These employment options are based on labour market research and the results of the transferrable skills assessment.
2. Employment options are presented to the injured employee and treating doctor to decide on.
3. The occupational rehabilitation provider (KINNECT) assists the injured employee through providing advice. This advice includes supporting the worker to update their CV and assistance with job applications.
4. Throughout applications, ongoing monitoring of job seeking and vocational counselling will be provided as required.

Redundancy

Whether your company is going through organisational change or downsizing, it is important to consider redeployment in relation to redundancy. Failing to offer another position as an option to your redundant employee has the potential to attract legal exposure. However, redeployment must be reasonable, and this depends on a range of circumstances.

For redeployment to reasonable, you are required to have a vacant role available at the time of redundancy. The best course of action is to offer this to the employee for them to accept or reject.

How can KINNECT assist?

KINNECT’s Vocational Assessments include:

Transferable Skills Assessment

• Review of injury history, current treatment, current functional and/or psychological capacity
• Review of previous employment and training history
• Review of skills, qualifications and accreditations
• Review of literacy, numeracy and computer skills
• Discussion and identification of realistic employment and training options/interests. An interest test may be completed if required, to help the worker to identify alternative work areas of interest
• Review of current level of job seeking ability/skills
• Review of psychosocial barriers and an analysis of the worker’s motivation for a return to work within new employment
• Consideration of internal redeployment roles may be considered within the current workplace (if available)
• Aptitude testing and analysis of results (comprehensive vocational assessments only)

Labour Market Research

• Identification and description of the requirements for a chosen vocational option
• Review of local available positions
• Discussion and analysis of wage requirements (comprehensive only)
• Analysis of local training availability for identified vocational options (comprehensive only)
• Contact with employers and/or review of advertised positions to confirm suitability of options (comprehensive only)

Job Preparation and Job Seeking

• Preparing an individual to search for employment independently
• Assistance with job applications
• Ongoing monitoring of job seeking and vocational counselling as required

Detailed Report and Communication

• Phone call to referrer on completion of vocational assessment providing updates on the assessment findings and recommendations. The need for further assistance, such as job preparation assistance, is also discussed.
• A comprehensive written report detailing all of the above information. This provides clear recommendations regarding future assistance and/or needs, submitted within 48 hours of the assessment.

Ultimately, we want to identify suitable employment options and to set realistic vocational goals. We want the injured employee to return to long term, meaningful and fulfilling employment in a timely manner.

References

1. Comcare 2020, Redeployment https://www.comcare.gov.au/recovery/returning_to_work/suitable_employment/redeployment
2. Fair Work Commission 2020, Redeployment https://www.fwc.gov.au/unfair-dismissals-benchbook/what-dismissal/what-genuine-redundancy/redeployment