Return-to-Work Outcomes for Federal Employees in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Disability Management Program
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About the Study
In 2018, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) and funded contractor Summit Consulting to conduct Return-to-Work Outcomes for Federal Employees in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Disability Management Program under the Administrative Data Research and Analysis portfolio of studies. This descriptive and statistical analysis aims to understand what factors are associated with disabled workers returning to work and to examine the timing of disability management services on injured workers’ return-to-work outcomes and disability management duration. Researchers used 17 years of administrative case management data (February 2001—November 2017) to identify relevant trends.
The Federal Employees’ Compensation Program (FECP), managed by OWCP, supports civilian federal employees who experience work-related disability. In cases in which an employee is unable to return to work, they enter the disability management program and receive active recovery assistance from OWCP and their employing agency.
This Department of Labor-funded study was a result of the annual process to determine the Department’s research priorities for the upcoming year. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform data and reporting programs and policies and addresses Departmental strategic goals and priorities.
- Which characteristics of disability claims and claimants are more strongly associated with return-to-work outcomes?
- Which pre-claim characteristics (claimant and incident) are more strongly associated with prolonged disability periods?
- Which OWCP actions (claims examiner adjudication, second opinion examinations, nurse interventions, and vocational rehab) are more strongly associated with return-to-work outcomes (both early and late interventions)? Specifically, using the Disability Management intervention codes, which interventions and intervention patterns are associated with return-to-work outcomes?
- Is the current 30-month case management threshold highly correlated with workers returning to work or are alternative cut-offs (e.g., 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, or other) more closely correlated with a return to work?
- Return-to-Work Outcomes for Federal Employees in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Disability Management Program (Final Report, January 2019)
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.