MANAGEMENT OF INCAPACITY DUE TO ILL-HEALTH IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

1. MANAGEMENT OF INCAPACITY DUE TO ILL-HEALTH IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

2. OUTLINE • Current Leave Benefits • The Rationale for Change • Management Policy and Procedure on Incapacity Leave and Ill-Health Retirement for Public Service Employees • Perceived Benefits of the Management of Incapacity due to Ill-health • The Pilot Study • The Way Forward

3. Current Leave Benefits • Annual leave • 22/26 working days per leave cycle • Family Responsibility Leave • 3 days in the event of birth of child and/or illness or death of spouse, life partner, child • 5 days in the event of death of a member of the immediate family

4. Current Leave Benefits • Normal sick leave • 36 working days per 3 year sick leave cycle • Incapacity leave • After normal sick leave is exhausted • Dept may grant max. 30 working days with full pay subject to investigation. These days may be extended based upon the findings of the investigation/medical evidence obtained during the investigation

5. The Rationale for Change • Incapacity leave & ill-health retirements are not managed consistently • A uniform & clear policy on the management of incapacity leave and ill-health retirements lacks • Incapacity is rarely if ever properly investigated & managed

6. The Rationale for Change • Departments generally lacks the expertise and skills to investigate & manage incapacity & ill-health retirement • Departments have difficulty to accommodate permanent incapacitated employees through redeployment, re-skilling, etc. • Medical information

7. The Rationale for Change • Time delay between the onset & payment of ill-health benefits results in hardship for genuinely incapacitated employees • Departments incur unnecessary expenses in granting additional sick leave where ill-health retirement is more appropriate • Current provisions are used to address other work related problems, e.g. poor work performance

8. The Rationale for Change • Ill-health retirements were exceptionally high- according to an analyses of 1557 applications for the period Nov. 2000 - Feb. 2001 showed that - • SAPS is 314% higher than expected in private sector • DCS is 253% higher than expected in private sector • 48% of all applications: probably or definitely not been granted ill-health benefits • 27% of all applications: temporary incapacity • 68% of all applicants could have benefited from return to work strategies

9. The Rationale for Change

10. Management Policy and Procedure on Incapacity Leave and Ill-Health Retirements for Public Service Employees • Objectives: To set up structures & procedures which will ensure that- • intervention and management of incapacity in the workplace accommodate temporary or permanently incapacitated employees, specifically with regard to the labour legislation • Rehabilitation, re-skilling and re-alignment of temporary or permanently incapacitated employees are facilitated where necessary

11. Management Policy and Procedure on Incapacity Leave and Ill-Health Retirements for Public Service Employees • Mission • Adopt a holistic approach • Prevent abuse of incapacity leave/ill-health retirement • Provide income • Adopt a scientific approach to health risk management • Involve the various stakeholders • Consistent, fair and objective • Cost effective and sustainable

12. Perceived Benefits of the Management of Incapacity due to Ill-health • A uniform/integrated policy will be available to manage incapacity and ill-health retirements appropriately • The Management Policy and Health Risk Manager will ensure timeous professional and objective assessments and recommendations • It will allow early intervention where appropriate

13. Perceived Benefits of the Management of Incapacity due to Ill-health • Data collected could also inform the development of subsequent programmes such as disease management. • It serves also as a change management tool to change employee behaviour with regard to the utilisation of sick leave in general • It will pave the way to introduce a more comprehensive management approach to absenteeism in that the employer will be able to effectively utilise an employee and as for as long as possible.

14. The Pilot Study • Request for Information & Conference Room Pilot Study • Outcomes of pilot study • Funding of Pilot Study • Pilot study • Pilot sites • South African Police Service • Department of Correctional Services • Free State Province • Duration: 12 months

15. The Pilot Study • Appointment of Service Providers • Setting up in pilot departments • Challenges • Capacity on the part of the service providers • Capacity on the part of the DPSA and GEPF • Development and negotiation of comprehensive and thorough Service Level Agreements with appointed service providers

16. The Pilot Study • Lessons Learnt • Disclosure of medical information • Maintaining confidentiality • Attitude of attending practitioners • Legality of medical certificates • Management of normal sick leave • Valuable information on ill-health/wellness trends • Paradigm shift in usage of incapacity leave and ill-health retirement applications

17. The Pilot Study

18. The Pilot Study

19. The Way Forward • The initiative and processes started in the pilot sites will continue after the the pilot study came to an end • Development of an implementation strategy to inform the roll-out to the rest of the Public Service

20. The Way Forward • Challenges/Issues to consider I.r.o. full implementation • Do we have enough knowledge to take an informed decision on further implementation • Changes to improve the policy and procedures • Ability and capacity of provinces and departments to deal with roll-out on their own • Capacity of the Health Risk Management Industry • The capacity of the DPSA/GEPF • The number of employees to make any future contracts viable • Financing the roll-out