VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION

Look up "rehabilitation" in the dictionary and you'll find that it means "to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity."

In the Union Construction Workers' Compensation Program (UCWCP), whenever possible, we want that "constructive activity" to be "construction activity." That is why the UCWCP Trustees have created a select list of experienced Qualified Rehabilitation Consultants (QRCs) to provide assistance to injured union members and their contractors. These QRCs understand the demands of the construction industry, and are known for their professionalism, medical expertise, neutrality and excellent communication skills with physicians, injured workers and employers. Both the employer and injured employee are limited to the QRCs on the PROGRAM's list.

WHAT'S OUR APPROACH TO VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION?

Employers don’t contribute to health & welfare funds, pension plans, or social security when union workers aren’t performing bargaining-unit work, and workers' compensation doesn't compensate injured employees for the loss of fringe benefits or social security contributions. Because of that, and because few jobs provide a better wage and fringe benefit package than union construction work, QRCs in the UCWCP do all they can to help union workers get ready to return to work in their usual trade as soon as safely possible.

Research has shown that the longer an injured employee is totally off work, the greater the likelihood that they will never return to their pre-injury job. A total disability even as short as two to three weeks has a statistically significant (and negative) impact on a successful return to work, regardless of the severity of the injury.

Therefore, the contractors in the UCWCP are committed to providing light-duty employment to their employees whenever possible. The Trustees believe that everybody wins with this approach: contractors reduce their workers' compensation claim costs and injured workers are more likely to return to full-duty in their chosen trade.

APPROVED QUALIFIED REHABILITATION CONSULTANTS (QRCs)

NOTE: ONLY QRCs APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAY PROVIDE STATUTORY REHABILITATION SERVICES TO UNION MEMBERS IN THE UCWCP.

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