Rehabilitation. Procedure for working with rehabilitation cases. Rehabilitation Page: 1 / 6. University Administration

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1 University Administration HR department Dnr 1517/ Rehabilitation Page: 1 / 6 Rehabilitation Procedure for working with rehabilitation cases

2 Page: 2 /6 Procedure for working with rehabilitation cases Preventive and health promotional work Karolinska Institutet is liable as an employer to provide organised work adjustment and rehabilitation services. It is important to identify early indications of illness in order to prevent the need for sick leave and rehabilitation. The aim of rehabilitation at KI is to find a solution as soon as possible to an employee's situation given the economic prerequisites of the employer's operation. New social insurance regulations were introduced in These new regulations stipulate demands for early activity in cases of illness and a so-called rehabilitation chain was introduced with fixed points in time for reviewing the work capacity of the person on sick leave and his/her eligibility for sick pay. Period of sick leave 1-90 days Review of whether or not the person on sick leave can manage his/her regular job or other temporary job within the department. Sick leave period days Review of whether or not the person on sick leave can handle other available work within KI. Sick leave period days Review of whether or not the person on sick leave can handle a job on the regular labour market. Rehabilitation planning, persons involved and resources for support Manager in charge is to maintain early and continuous contact with an employee during his/her period of illness. This manager is in charge of rehabilitation planning when an employee has been on sick leave for more than four weeks, preferably after two weeks. Read more about rehabilitation planning on the HR website under the rehabilitation process. A form for rehabilitation planning is available on the HR website under Rehabilitation process. The employee is responsible for actively trying to regain his/her work capacity and actively taking part in various rehabilitation efforts. Should you wish assistance from occupational healthcare services at KI, Previa, the same form is to be used. Previa can provide support in the rehabilitation planning process and for other rehabilitation measures. There are appointed rehabilitation coordinators at Previa in Solna and in Huddinge.

3 Page: 3 /6 The HR department is a central specialist resource that can provide advice and support throughout the rehabilitation process. The HR department also coordinates KI's rehabilitation network. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency makes sure that the person on sick leave obtains an administrator and is responsible for coordinating necessary rehabilitation efforts. They also initiate medical insurance reviews and rehabilitation planning directed toward work life if necessary. There are appointed KI contact persons at the Social Insurance Agency offices in Solna and Huddinge. These contact persons are also members of rehabilitation network at KI. Medical rehabilitation involving a direct return to work after sick leave (e.g. pregnancy) for which no further active measures are required by the Social Insurance Agency, is handled by the administrator at the local office and not transferred to our contact persons at the agency (so-called prognosärenden "prognosis cases"). In such cases it is assumed that the insured party will return to work within 60 days of the day he/she was sick-listed. Other cases that require that measures be taken and that are handled by our contacts are referred to as "active cases". Health Promotion at KI is highly competent and is a resource and source of potential support during and after rehabilitation concerning health-related issues of a preventive nature. Health Promotion can arrange individual programs and offer various activities that may be appropriate during rehabilitation. They are also represented in the rehabilitation network. Union organisations can be an important source of support for an employee during his/her rehabilitation. Find out from the employee whether or not a representative of a relevant employee organisation should participate in his/her rehabilitation. Rehabilitation networks. There are two geographical rehabilitation networks at KI: one for departments that belong to the Solna campus and one for those that belong to the Huddinge campus. The purpose of rehabilitation networks is to work proactively to prevent ill health in the organisation and initiate rehabilitation efforts as soon as possible that result in a return to work within KI or to alternative career paths. These networks include representatives from the HR department, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, Previa and KI Health Promotion. If necessary the Swedish Public Employment Service can also be represented. The rehabilitation networks meet once a month. Anyone who has a total of more than 28 days of consecutive sick leave can be brought into the network unless this is obviously unnecessary. The individual shall always be invited to and be present at meetings in order to take active part in his/her own rehabilitation. If this is not possible or if the individual does not wish to participate then he/she must consent to a discussion of the case in his/her absence. Secrecy provisions are applicable to everyone who participates in the networks. The department reports the cases that are to be brought up in the network to the HR department. A case may only be brought up once in the network or on several occasions if necessary. It is also important in each case that no more persons than necessary are present in the network out of respect for the individual.

4 Page: 4 /6 The course of a rehabilitation case The rehabilitation process at KI Preventiv e work Rehabilitati on planning Solution within the department Sick leave period 1-90 days Solution within KI Sick leave period days Solution outside of KI Sick leave period days Employee The employee is responsible for actively trying to regain his/her work capacity and actively taking part in his/her own rehabilitation. Department/Manager in charge The manager is responsible for his/her personnel and for preventing the need for sick leave and rehabilitation. He/she also maintains regular contact with employees and conducts personal development/appraisal discussions etcetera that may be a way of identifying ill health. The department follows up short-term absence of its personnel in order to prevent longer periods of sick leave. The manager in charge is to maintain early and continuous contact with an employee during his/her period of illness. This manager must also plan for rehabilitation when - an employee has been on sick leave for more than 4 weeks, preferably already after two weeks - has been sick six or more times during the most recent 12-month period, - the employee has requested it, or - the employer requires it for particular reasons. It is recommended that rehabilitation planning is done the support of rehabilitation networks that include Previa, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and KI Health Promotion. When rehabilitation is planned all efforts and measures to get the individual to return to work are to be taken and accurately documented. All cases involving a sick-listing of more than 28 days are to go through rehabilitation network meetings which are held once a month. Cases are reported by the department to the HR department. The individual in question should be present at meetings and always be invited, informed and consulted. If the individual chooses not to be present at network meetings then consent must be obtained from the person to bring up his/her case. Secrecy is applicable. Representatives from the departments are always present (responsible manager, administrative manager or HR personnel). A note is made by the department of cases of sick leave for more than 28 days that obviously do not need to be brought up in the networks. The individual is to be informed and asked if he/she would like to have the support of a union representative during rehabilitation.

5 Page: 5 /6 From day 1 to day 90 the work capacity of person on sick leave is to be reviewed as to whether or not he/she can perform his/her regular job or another job within the department. All rehabilitation work is to be accurately documented and compiled in a personnel act. In cases where the employer is of the opinion that the sick-listed person cannot return to his/her regular work or another job in the department after thorough and strict rehabilitation measures, the local union representative is to be informed. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency can request that the person on sick leave submits a document, a so-called "Employer statement", on the possibility to do another job within the authority. In such case, the KI department is to contact the HR department to investigate the possibility to transfer the employee to a vacant position elsewhere within Karolinska Institutet. It is the HR department which is formally responsible for the investigation concerning transfer to another job. The HR department informs the employee's central union representative. The Employer statement is signed by the employer (department head/manager in charge and the HR department) and the employee, as well as by the union representative, and is sent to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency by the employee. The department remains responsible for the employee until a possible solution has been found. HR department Convenes the rehabilitation network meetings. The HR department receives information from the departments on cases that extend beyond a 28-day sick leave period. The HR department notifies the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and Previa of cases that they wish to have brought up in the networks. The HR department assists the department in cases that require an investigation to transfer to another job within KI. It is the HR department which is formally responsible for the investigation concerning transfer to another job. During a sick leave period of days the review of eligibility for sick pay is extended by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency to include the possibility for the sick-listed person to do another job for the employer, i.e. if it is probable that the sick-listed person is adequately qualified and can do some other job within KI. The investigation of the possibility to be transferred to another job within KI is done by the HR department in collaboration with the department between day 91 and day 180 of the employee's period of sick leave. If the employer is of the opinion that the employee cannot do work within the department or be offered another job within KI, the HR department informs the employee's central union representative of this. An investigation of transfer to another job is also done by the HR department in collaboration with the department when the Swedish Social Insurance Agency requests an Employee statement of the employee. If an Employee statement is required, the HR department informs the relevant central union representative.

6 Page: 6 /6 The HR department is a central specialist resource which can provide advice and support throughout the rehabilitation process. The Swedish Public Employment Service If there is a risk that the sick-listed person will not be able to return to work with his/her employer before the fixed time limit of 180 days, then he/she should be offered support through the Swedish Public Employment Service. Up until the 180th day of sick leave the sick-listed persons can seek a new job with the help of the Swedish Public Employment Agency while maintaining his/her right to sick pay. The department remains responsible for the sick-listed person at this stage. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency As of the 181st day of sick leave the Swedish Social Insurance Agency is to assess unless there is good reason not to the possibility for the insured person to do work on the rest of the regular labour market. If the Social Insurance Agency is of the opinion that the insured party can handle another job on the outside labour market then no sickness benefits will be paid. The trial period on the regular labour market may be postponed for particular reasons. This should be possible if it is highly probable that the insured party can return to work for his/her current employer after further treatment or rehabilitation within a year of the onset of his/her illness. In cases where the Swedish Social Insurance Agency decides to suspend sickness benefits and the employee cannot return to work or be transferred to another job within KI then a labour-law process involving the employer may arise. The department then contacts the HR department for further management in accordance with labour legislation. Very clear and detailed documentation of all rehabilitation efforts of each individual are important in this process.