June #2: Fit Testing, Upcoming Trainings, Payroll Audit
When your employee is out due to an on-the-job injury, it may be necessary to send them for a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) prior to their returning to work. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the FCE is a series of tests that evaluate a person’s physical abilities and consists of pushing, pulling, lifting, and other tasks related to their job. The evaluation can take from four hours to two days to complete. The FCE is administered by a physical therapist for most injuries and an occupational therapist for injuries affecting fine motor skills or cognitive functions. The treating health care provider may send an employee for the FCE. The therapist will use the employee’s job description, including the physical requirements of the job, to complete the exam and document performance in a report that will be used to determine if the person is ready to return to their regular duties.
Conversely, if you observe your employee while they are working and have a reasonable belief based on objective evidence that they are a danger to themselves or others, you can send them for a fitness for duty exam. The fitness for duty exam is less comprehensive than the FCE. A physician or psychologist will complete the fitness for duty exam and will need to review the employee’s complete job description, including the physical requirements of the job. This way, the doctor can examine the employee to determine if they can continue to handle the essential functions of their position.
An example of objective evidence is a crane operator who becomes light-headed, out of breath, and has to sit down abruptly when he gets out of the crane. The employer might have a reasonable belief, based on objective evidence, that this worker will pose a direct threat while working on the construction site, and therefore may require the employee to undergo a medical examination to determine if these symptoms make the worker unfit to perform the job.
Fitness-for-Duty Exam After ADA or FMLA Leave
If you have a reasonable belief that the ability to perform the essential functions of the job will be impaired or your employee will pose a direct threat due to a medical condition, the ADA permits a fitness-for-duty exam upon an employee’s return from personal medical leave.
If your employee has been out on leave for their own serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), you may require a fitness for duty exam from the employee’s health care provider. The exam would be a condition of reinstatement, so long as your organization has a uniformly applied policy or practice that requires all similarly situated employees who take leave for such conditions to submit such certification. Under FMLA regulation, you must also appropriately notify your employee ahead of time that the certification must address their ability to perform the essential job functions and provide them with their job description, including the physical requirements.
Should you have questions on either type of exam, you should consult your human resources department, attorney, or you can reach out to IMWCA’s Human Resources Specialist, Suzanne Kashawlic at suzannekashawlic@iowaleague.org.
Company Nurse Updates for Members
Join us for a Webinar with Company Nurse: August 13 | 10 a.m.
Discover what’s new with Company Nurse powered by Lintelio. This webinar will highlight enhanced communication features, physician consultation services, new member phone numbers, and fiscal year 2025-26 performance metrics, including call statistics and utilization data. Learn how these updates can help improve injury reporting, provide timely medical guidance, and create a better experience for both employees and supervisors.
Upcoming IMWCA Trainings
Supervisor Training
Spots still available:
July 8 – Oelwein
July 15 – Carroll
Handling employee performance and conduct issues can be daunting, uncomfortable, and confusing. IMWCA’s Supervisor Training Course provides new and experienced supervisors with tools and tips for managing inadequate performance and misconduct early on, when correction is easier.
Virtual Round Table
August 11 – Seasonal Employees: Best Practices for Onboarding and Offboarding
Gain valuable knowledge and real-world solutions for handling workers’ compensation issues in our quarterly virtual round tables. Each session kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with a 15-20 minute presentation, followed by an open discussion where you can ask questions and exchange ideas.
2025-2026 Payroll Audits
As the 2025-2026 fiscal year concludes, we will soon begin payroll audits. For this period, your entity’s premium was estimated based on projected payroll figures. The upcoming audit will verify actual payroll to ensure the correct premium was contributed.
IMWCA’s contracted firm, Information Providers, Inc. (IPI), will perform these audits throughout July and August. You should have received a separate email from IMWCA detailing the specific documentation required. Having this information prepared in advance will ensure the process is completed efficiently.
If you have any questions regarding the audit process, please contact Andrew at andrewjustice@iowaleague.org or (800) 257-2708.
Safety Training — LEARNING Platform
IMWCA uses NEOGOV’s LEARNING platform to provide members with more than 300 training titles covering safety, human resources, leadership, and other topics relevant to local government operations.
In addition to the existing course library, LEARNING allows members to create their own training content, upload policies and procedures for employee review and maintain training records in a centralized location.
Additional training topics will be added July 1. For more information about LEARNING, contact your IMWCA Safety and Risk Improvement Advisor.
