Countywide Job Search Countywide Job Search (RTW Protocol Approach)(RTW Protocol Approach)

Chief Executive Office Risk Management

Return To Work Unit

Topics CoveredTopics Covered

Departmental Job SearchPurpose and Definition

Countywide Job SearchPurpose and Definition

Voluntary DemotionPurpose and Definition

Departmental Job SearchDepartmental Job Search

PURPOSE and DEFINITION

To return employees to a productive work environment suitable to a position consistent with their knowledge, skills, and abilities while adhering to their work restrictions.

A search for a position at a comparable level within the employee’s department and Countywide should be conducted before a demotion is explored either within the department or in another County department.

Departmental Job SearchDepartmental Job Searchcont…

The employer or employee may then request a voluntary demotion due to inability to perform their

Usual and Customary (U&C) position.

Countywide Job SearchCountywide Job Search

Triggers:

An employee has been found to be permanently precluded from returning to his/her Usual and Customary (U&C) position and a comparable position

cannot be located within the employee’s home department.

The employer or employee may then request a voluntary demotion due to inability to perform their U&C position.

Countywide Job SearchCountywide Job Searchcont…

Triggers:

This process will be utilized only after all other options have been exhausted.

Countywide Job SearchCountywide Job Search

What Should Occur:

The department should coordinate efforts with the Department of Human Resources in accordance

with Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines (PPG 621).

A search for a position at a comparable level within the employee’s department and Countywide should be conducted before a demotion is explored either within the department or in another County department.

Countywide Job SearchCountywide Job Search

What Should Occur:

A department and Countywide job search should be conducted in accordance with the Department of Human Resources’ Policies, Procedures and Guidelines (PPG 621) and no position has been identified.

The necessary documents must be completed to show synopsis of what efforts the department made to include modified/alternative placement, discussions of voluntary demotion with or without supplemental disability allowance (for LACERA contributory plan members), Work Hardening Transitional Assignment (WHTAA), or Conditional Assignment Agreement (CAA).

Countywide Job SearchCountywide Job Searchcont…

Voluntary DemotionVoluntary Demotion

PURPOSE and DEFINITION

Once it has been determined that the employee is unable to return to their U&C position and there is no other positions available within the

County.

A department and Countywide job search has been conducted in accordance with the Department of

Human Resources’ Policies and Procedures Guidelines (PPG 621) and no position has been identified.

Triggers:

The employer or employee may then request a voluntary demotion due to inability to perform

their U&C position.

What Should Occur:

Conduct timely Interactive Process Meetings (IPM’s) to determine the employee’s

status;

Offer the employee an opportunity to share/discuss any concerns they may have;

If there are discrepancies with the employee’s medical status, the employee must follow

up with the appropriate qualified health care professional for consideration in assessing his/her appropriate placement.

Voluntary Demotion

In the Interactive Process Meeting, the following issues should be discussed:

1.Acknowledge that the employee has been released by their health care professional with permanent work restriction;

2.Compare the Essential Job Functions (EJF’s) to restrictions then make a collaborative determination of whether employee can perform the essential functions of any other positions with or without an accommodation;

3.Determine if the employee meets the minimum requirements or has previously held any other position;

4.If the employee is in a contributory retirement plan (A-D), ensure the employee is aware of the supplemental disability allowance available to employees who desire to continue working even if they are disabled from their usual and customary position.

5.Discuss Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association’s (LACERA) Supplemental Disability Allowance with employee (in agreement with employee, explore the invitation of subject-matter expert from LACERA), if appropriate; and

6.Offer the employee a lower-level position in accordance with appropriate civil service rule and follow up with employee and supervisor to ensure there are no problems, and document all interactions.

NOTE:

Conduct a reasonable search within the department for a comparable position and document as

appropriate before utilizing PPG 621. A reasonable search should be conducted within the County before offering an employee a voluntary

demotion.

NOTE:

A contributory plan member who is found by the LACERA Board of Retirement (BOR) to be permanently incapacitated for the performance of his/her regular job duties, but is capable of

performing the duties of another County position may be eligible for Service Connected or Non-

Service Connected Disability Salary Supplement.

However, employee may opt to accept a lower-paying County position without LACERA Salary Supplement.

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