Job Dictionaries – useful for the lifecycle of an employee
Job Dictionaries are used to varying degrees across workplaces and tend to be more commonplace in industries that are considered ‘higher risk’. A Job Dictionary will generally break down the physical, environmental, and cognitive considerations of a job role so that it can be used at different stages through the lifecycle of an employee.
- Pre-employment Medicals
Pre-employment medicals are becoming more popular through both physical and non-physical job roles. Generally, when someone is completing a pre-employment medical for a physical job role, they will need to undertake a functional capacity evaluation as part of the medical. A Job Dictionary will assist in a couple of aspects of the medical.
Firstly, a high-quality provider conducting pre-employment medicals will tailor their assessment to match the critical physical demands as identified through the Job Dictionary. If your provider isn’t doing this at a minimum, then the assessment becomes a costly exercise without a meaningful outcome.
Secondly, the doctor or occupational physician should be using the Job Dictionary to make an ultimate determination on whether the candidate is suitable for the job role. This is assessing all aspects of the medical in line with what needs to be undertaken as part of the role.
- Preventing Injuries
A completed Job Dictionary will highlight the areas within a job role that are ‘higher risk’. Sometimes the reality of what is physically involved with a job role isn’t intricately known until identified through a Job Dictionary.
Now that higher risk tasks have been identified, something can be done about it to try and mitigate any associated risk. This can be from procuring new equipment, implementing new policies and practices, undertaking additional training for staff or even starting warmup for work or conditioning programs for workers.
A problem can’t be solved unless you are aware that a problem exists.
- Managing Injuries
Unfortunately, the reality of life is that there will always be injuries at work, particularly with physical job roles and an aging population. Again, a Job Dictionary becomes a fantastic tool for all stakeholders that assist in managing workplace injuries. This can include the employer representative, the treating GP or specialist, the vocational rehabilitation provider and the treating exercise rehabilitation provider.
A Job Dictionary helps in different areas within a workers’ compensation claim. It can help with identifying suitable duties to keep the employee engaged and connected to work and reducing the likelihood of the medical practitioner signing them totally unfit as they are unsure of what the job role involves.
It will help all stakeholders know exactly what needs to be achieved from a functional perspective to get the employee back to their pre-injury duties. It will allow the treating exercise rehabilitation provider to tailor their rehabilitation so that it matches the exact requirements of the job role. This will also provide the worker with confidence that they can complete their job role as they will be able to demonstrate it in a controlled environment such as a gym.
So, as you can see a Job Dictionary is an extremely useful tool for the entire lifecycle of an employee. For more information, contact the team at Absolute Balance Exercise Physiology Group.
Aaron McErlaine (BSc – ExHealth, BSc – ExRehab, Dip WHS, Cert IV TAE)
Health & Injury Prevention Services Manager (AEP) (ESSAM)
