[Eng-div] Medical work restrictions and matrixed/loaned employees - IMPORTANT

[Will Oren]

All,
      I wish to elaborate on a e-mail sent out by Mary Jo Bailey 
yesterday morning. Some of our lab co-workers have medical work 
restrictions which limit the duties they can perform while carrying out 
their normal work activities.    Sometimes these restrictions are 
temporary as someone heals from a medical issue so they change through 
time and are regularly reevaluated by Medical.   Others are long term 
restrictions that we have learned to accommodate in the employee's 
current assignment.   These restrictions are known by the employee, 
their supervisory chain and Medical.

      The Engineering Division is a matrixed organization where staff is 
often matrixed/loaned out to other areas within the lab where their work 
is directed by a "Work Unit Manager" (WUM) who is different than the 
"Home Unit Manager"  (HUM).   When this is done the HUM is responsible 
to communicate to the WUM what a person's current work restrictions are. 
   The HUM is also responsible for meeting with the WUM to evaluate the 
work that the matrixed/loaned employee will be doing and whether any of 
the current restrictions will effect that work.   The WUM is responsible 
for understanding the restrictions and assigning work appropriately. 
Additionally, both the WUM and HUM should be looking at the work to see 
if any other restrictions might be needed for new conditions encountered 
in this new work assignment.   In other words the written restrictions 
are formulated for the original work assignment and may change since the 
job duties may be different for the new assignment.

      This brings me to a second point.   The employee is also 
responsible to know and understand their restrictions, work within them 
and tell their supervisory chain if their current activity is not 
compatible with those restrictions or any that may arise.  This could 
include someone who presently has no restrictions but because of a 
preexisting condition they may be limited in their new work duties. 
While work restrictions are not something you post on your Facebook page 
they can be shared on a "need to know basis" with the supervisory chain 
so everyone understands what they are.

      The above considerations have become extremely important in our 
present work environment.   We have done extensive matrixing between the 
Lab's Divisions where sometimes the Engineering Division loans folks out 
and at other times we have received help from other Divisions.   I 
believe this effort has been highly successful and is a model for what 
will be expected in the future.   So we have to make checking work 
restrictions a habit when exchanging help across supervisory chains.

      The bottom line is, if in doubt consult Medical to get an 
evaluation on whether work restrictions are needed or not.   It's 
better(and much less painful) to avoid an injury with proper planning 
then react when one has over extended themselves and needs medical 
attention.

Thanks for you prompt attention to this issue.

Will