A workplace modified duty program for employees in an oncology center.

BACKGROUND

Workplace modified duty programs may provide reasonable accommodations to employees who have partial temporary job disability and could work on duty accommodations until they fully recover. However, little is known about the implementation barriers and effectiveness of such programs.

OBJECTIVE

This study is aimed at evaluating the implementation of a modified duty program for employees in an oncology center.

METHODS

A modified duty program for employees working at the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center, a non profit organization with 200 employees located in the Republic of Cyprus was evaluated based on the health records of the occupational medicine department.

RESULTS

Employees' participation in the program was 3%. A total of 12 employees participated (6 each year). The participants were all women and the mean participation period was 21.6 days (range 10 - 65 days). The two most frequent reasons for a modified duty assignment were pregnancy and back pain. Employees were assigned either on limited duties or on a combination of limited duties and reduced work hours. Employees reported being very satisfied with their participation based on a follow-up narrative oral assessment.

CONCLUSION

The small participation rate does not allow for advanced statistical analyses. Further studies from larger organizations are urgently needed to evaluate the effectiveness of modified duty programs. The development of a legal framework for such modified duty programs in Cyprus as well as internationally may promote their implementation in order to facilitate the effective management of temporary partial job disability for the benefit of both employees and businesses.