Here’s how to build one that actually works.
Why a Transitional Duty Job Bank Matters
When an injured employee is released to work with restrictions, the clock starts ticking. The goal is to bring them back to work—any work within their capabilities—within 0–4 days. Why? Because if you don’t, you’ll likely trigger lost-time indemnity payments, increase your experience mod, and risk the long-term disengagement of that employee.
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“13 Research Studies to Prove Value of Return-to-Work Program & Gain Stakeholder Buy-In”
A ready-to-use job bank makes this return seamless. It ensures you can match restrictions to meaningful, safe duties without delay.
Step 1: Identify Transitional Duty Opportunities Before There’s an Injury
There are four proven ways to gather job options for your bank:
1. Ask for the “Wish List”
Every supervisor has tasks they’d love to get done—but don’t have time for. Filing, data entry, inventory audits, organizing storage, scanning paperwork, quality control checks—the list is long and specific to each department. Ask them: What are two things you need done but never have time to do? This builds your list fast.
2. Send a Department Head Letter
Formalize your request. Draft a short letter asking each department leader to submit one or two alternate assignments that could be offered to employees with temporary restrictions. Explain the goal is to reduce workers’ comp costs while keeping injured employees engaged and productive.
3. Conduct an Ergonomic Walkthrough
Have a physical therapist or ergonomist tour your facility. Their trained eye can identify job tasks that can be restructured for light duty—things your staff might overlook. They’ll also help ensure tasks are physically appropriate and align with common restriction categories (e.g., no lifting over 10 lbs, seated work only, limited standing, etc.).
4. Record Job Videos
A powerful tool: record short videos of your existing job roles and tasks. When an injury happens, the treating physician can review the video and determine which parts of the job the employee can safely perform. This reduces the chance of a blanket “no work” restriction and helps you get approvals faster.
Step 2: Categorize and Document the Jobs
Once you’ve gathered your list, organize it in a way that makes it easy to match tasks to injuries. For each job or task, include:
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Department/location
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Brief description of task
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Physical demands (e.g., sitting, standing, reaching, lifting, typing)
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Typical hours/duration
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Training or supervision required
Store this in a central database or spreadsheet—one that is accessible to your injury coordinator, HR, and claims team. Consider building filters by physical demand levels (sedentary, light, medium) or body parts affected (e.g., back, wrist, lower extremity).
Step 3: Keep It Alive
A job bank is only valuable if it’s accurate. Assign a staff member or safety coordinator to review and update the list every 6–12 months. Remove tasks that are no longer relevant and add new ones as your operations evolve.
Pro tip: Make transitional duty planning part of your annual safety meeting agenda. Ask departments to revisit their submissions and submit updates.
Step 4: Communicate Across the Organization
Your job bank won’t help if no one knows it exists. Educate supervisors and department heads about how and when it will be used. Include it in your injury response protocols and reinforce that transitional duty is a team effort—not just an HR issue.
It’s also smart to introduce it to employees before anyone gets hurt. Present the concept during onboarding or safety training as a benefit—not a burden. Emphasize that the goal is to support recovery and help them stay connected to work.
When an Injury Happens: Put the Job Bank Into Action
As soon as the Work Ability Form comes in from the treating physician, match the restrictions with a job bank assignment. Use your Transitional Assignment Form to outline the job duties, schedule, and expectations. The faster you act, the more likely you’ll avoid lost time and litigation risks—and the more valued your employee will feel.
FREE DOWNLOAD: “13 Research Studies to Prove Value of Return-to-Work Program & Gain Stakeholder Buy-In”
Bottom Line
A Transitional Duty Job Bank isn’t just a best practice—it’s a strategic asset. It gives you speed, clarity, and control when managing injuries. More importantly, it creates a culture where injured employees are supported and actively reintegrated into the workforce.
Don’t wait for an injury to build your bank. Do the work now—before you need it—and you’ll thank yourself later.
Michael Stack, CEO of Amaxx LLC, is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and provides education, training, and consulting to help employers reduce their workers’ compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is co-author of the #1 selling comprehensive training guide “Your Ultimate Guide to Mastering Workers’ Comp Costs: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%.” Stack is the creator of Injury Management Results (IMR) software and founder of Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center. WC Mastery Training teaching injury management best practices such as return to work, communication, claims best practices, medical management, and working with vendors. IMR software simplifies the implementation of these best practices for employers and ties results to a Critical Metrics Dashboard.
Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
Workers’ Comp Roundup Blog: http://blog.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/
Injury Management Results (IMR) Software: https://imrsoftware.com/
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