Are Your Leave Specialist KSAOC’s Enhanced by Your HR Technology? Part II

In [part one](http://www.oci.com/blog/?p=393) of this series, we talked about how an FMLA software tool can enhance HR’s ability to perform at a high level and remain FMLA compliant. We focused on Leave of Absence Specialist KSAOC’s traits such as leadership and innovation. Today’s post continues the theme but focuses on what KSAOC’s are associated with the maximization of return-to-work (RTW) efforts and how this can be enhanced through the strategic purchase of appropriate HR technology. Let’s think about just a few of the KSAOC’s associated with effective RTW efforts. First, regardless of the size of your organization you must *recognize* and *establish best practices* for your RTW policies. This way these policies can be repeated by everyone responsible for returning your employees to work, which leads to both consistent and streamlined practices. Secondly, you must have the *ability to examine* your RTW programs. How often are employees with similar types of injuries receiving the same opportunities for transitional duty assignments? A third skill involves the *aptitude to effectively oversee* all employee accommodation needs regardless of whether any lost time is incurred. The Specialist must track approval dates, request types, ADA Accommodation types, restrictions etc., which will maximize his/her efforts in accommodating employees successfully. Last, you must be *analytically oriented* and have the capacity to freely access your RTW data. Why? You need to measure and understand the improvements in program effectiveness and related statistics indicating the value your efforts add to the organization. *So, how will these KSAOCs be accomplished with a technology solution?* A software solution that is used to track the time component of every absence and accommodation provides a framework for consistent application of policies throughout your organization. What better way to automatically remind specialists of key tasks and procedures and to ultimately increase employee productivity! Since this type of HR technology will be used to track the time benefit of all absences and accommodations, job listings will be easily accessed from the HR technology solution as they will naturally be a part of the robust database. Subsequently, not only should available and applicable job types be accessible, but the user should be able to run reports highlighting the different types of transitional duty assignments most often associated with specific injury types. An efficient return-to-work transition will be facilitated by an HR technology solution because the technology will be able to track and record all of your key milestones and communications. As a result, deadlines are less likely to be missed and the appropriate letters are sent out at just the right time. Finally, an HR technology solution will take the ‘haphazard’ out of your return-to-work program. Instead of trying to make program improvements based on notions, decisions can be made based on trends and from past year’s data. ***Interested in learning more about managing absence with HR Technology?*** Download OCI’s [Leave Management Whitepaper](http://web.oci.com/blog/your-free-oci-whitepaper/).