Fit-for-Duty Testing
Ensure Safe Return to Work
How to determine that your employees are at full capacity before they resume work after an injury
Do you oversee employees in a physically-demanding job, such as construction, assembly line work, or landscaping? You’ve likely experienced situations where an employee was injured on the job and had to take time off for rehabilitation. But did you confirm they were at full capacity before they started up again?
At Teton Therapy, we offer fit-for-duty testing in Riverton, WY, Lander, WY and Cheyenne, WY so you and your employees can know that they’re ready to return to the job. While we understand your employee is likely eager to get back to work, it’s important that they not start before they’re ready, risking re-injury.
Our fit-for-duty testing is a rigorous, comprehensive process that looks at your employee’s physical capabilities and overall health markers, all tailored to your company’s unique needs. And if your employee isn’t quite ready to come back, we also offer work conditioning programs to get them back in fighting shape!
How Fit-for-Duty Testing Benefits You and Your Employees
Did you know that in 2021, employers reported 2.4 million injury and illness cases in that year alone? All those injuries add up fast, leading to a total cost of $167 billion, including wages lost, medical expenses, and administrative expenses–not to mention the 70 million days’ worth of lost productivity.
But while an injured employee can significantly impact a company’s bottom line, so too can bringing an employee back to work before they’re ready. If they’re not fully rehabilitated, they’re at increased risk of incurring another injury, which can cost you further.
As our partners at WorkFORCE note, one in fourteen fit-for-duty assessments results in a “not capable” determination, which saves you an estimated $38,000 on average for each determination.
However, finances aren’t the only benefit fit-for-duty testing offers. Giving an injured employee all the time necessary to rehabilitate provides safer working conditions for all your employees, improving morale and ensuring higher quality work overall. Furthermore, it shows respect for your workers and can go a long way toward engendering goodwill within your company.
What’s Included in Teton Therapy’s Fit-For-Duty Assessments?
Every fit-for-duty test is tailored to address the needs of your company and the employee’s specific position. We’ll work closely with you to develop a series of systematic, medically thorough tests to develop a complete picture of the employees’ work readiness.
Even if a doctor has given the all-clear, your employee may still struggle with functional, job-specific tasks. Our assessments are designed to emulate the movements performed during the job, such as the following:
- Sitting for prolonged periods
- Standing for prolonged periods
- Kneeling or crawling
- Lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling heavy objects
- Balancing movements
- Movements like grasping or object manipulation
In addition to job-specific tasks, we can evaluate overall health markers, such as vision, blood pressure and cholesterol, general range of motion, and lung health. Every test is performed by a medical professional with a keen understanding of certain impairments or weaknesses that might not be clear to you or your employee’s coworkers.
Our experts in Riverton, WY, Lander, WY and Cheyenne, WY don’t simply perform the assessment, either. We’ll also interpret the information, providing an overview of your employee’s work readiness. We can also provide activity modifications when an employee is fit for work overall but may struggle with one or two specific movements.
The length of time for the test can vary based on the specific screens we’re performing. A round of simple range of motion tests may only take 30 minutes. A more tailored, thorough assessment could take several hours, in which case it will be scheduled over the course of a few days.
Finally, Teton Therapy also offers work conditioning programs for employees who are rehabilitating from an injury. As with the fit-for-duty tests, these programs are tailored to the needs of the job and focus on helping employees build strength, stamina, and good habits to avoid re-injury.
Request an Appointment to Learn More
Fit-for-duty testing offers a wealth of benefits for you, your company, and your workers. Happy, healthy employees will increase productivity and ensure a positive work environment for all.
Contact us today to learn more about our Fit for Duty Testing!
Your Next Steps…
- Request An Appointment
- Receive A Custom Treatment Plan
- Work Hard and Progress In Your Recovery
- Recover & Enjoy Life Pain-Free
