JOINT PRESENTATION ON EMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY PROCESSES

Board of Retirement November 7, 2013

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COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

EMPLOYMENT CAREER LIFECYCLE

Janice Mazone, Deputy Director Department of Human Resources

Dennis Floyd, Senior Deputy County Counsel

AGENDA Overview of Employment Career

Lifecycle

• Applicant Pool • Pre-employment Medical Process &

Background Process • Prevention Programs • Employee Accident/Injury/Illness

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Applicant Pool

Background &

Pre-Employment

Medical

Employee Accident/

Injury/Illness

Official Employment

& Prevention Programs

Retirement Process

Applicant Pool

Applicant Pool Statistics

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

Applications Received Application Pool Conditional Offers Made

40,945

15,977

2311

70,387

30,346

2827

88,069

38,612

2093

CA 2010 CA 2011 CA 2012

(39.0%)

(43.8%)

(43.1%)

(5.6%) (4.0%) (2.4%)

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Pre-Employment Process Before Conditional Job Offer

Skills Assessment & Evaluation

• Essential Job Functions

• Assessment Centers

• Performance Testing

• Departmental Interview

• Conditional Offer

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Applicant Pool

Background &

Pre-Employment Medical

Pre-Employment Background Conditional Job Offer

• Backgrounds are performed • Criminal

• DOJ & FBI • Access to Children • Financial • DMV • Psychological Exams – POST

• Sheriffs, Probation, Medical Examiner and District Attorney

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Pre-Employment Medical Process Conditional Job Offer

• The purpose of the pre-employment medical

• Identify limitations directly related to essential functions of the job

• Medical Evaluator will assess the candidate using

• Medical Evaluation • Medical History • Essential Job Functions

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Pre-Employment Medical Process Conditional Job Offer

• Medical Evaluator can issue 5 outcomes • Recommend • Recommend with Temporary Limitations • Recommend with Permanent Limitations • Medical Hold • Non Recommend

• Medical Evaluator will issue Limitations and/or restrictions based on the essential job functions

• The department determines their ability to accommodate

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Pre-Employment Medical Process Historical Results

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500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Total Applicants Screened

Pass W/O Limitations

Pass W/Limitations Medical Disquailification

2285

1953

295 37

2748

2371

342 35

3431

2891

465

75

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

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Pre-Employment Process Law Enforcement Positions - POST

Medical Examination is based on the Peace Officers Standards and Training Guidelines

• Hearing • Heart • Back

Department Sheriff/Cadet Academy • Agility • Physical Fitness

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Pre-Employment Process Law Enforcement Positions

6.9%

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013

1819 2042

2210

2914

135 243

538 517

General Sheriffs

1954 2285 2748 3431

10.6%

19.6% 15.1%

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Pre-Employment Process Limitations Issued by Medical Evaluator • Departments are notified of limitations and are

required to respond

• Address if they can accommodate the limitation(s) • What level of reasonable accommodation they can

accept • Address complex limitation questions with County

Counsel • If limitation(s) cannot be accommodated the offer is

rescinded

• Departments are not required to hold positions open

• Returning an employee to an eligibility list is considered a reasonable accommodation

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Pre-Employment Medical Process Pre-Existing Conditions

Future Injury Consideration?

• Medical Evaluator can only consider current medical conditions

• Based on essential job functions

• County cannot disqualify for “likelihood” of future injury

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Not Applicable in Hiring Process • Prior Injuries

• Prior Workers’ Comp Claims

• Disabilities that do not result in limitations

• Limitations that do not relate to EJF’s

• Risk that applicant/employee’s disability may lead to future injury

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Applicant Pool

Background &

Pre-Employment

Medical

Official Employment

& Prevention Programs

Surveillance Programs Specific to Job Classification • Annual Programs

• Omnibus • Federal, Non Federal

• HazMat • Lead • Hearing • Aerosol Transmittable Diseases ATD • Rabies • Hepatitis A and B

• 5 Year Safety Physical • Heart Trouble

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Prevention Programs Employee Wellness Program

• To develop healthy choices that reduce personal risk factors by engaging and sustaining a productive, active and accountable workforce.

WSSH Program • The Work Safe/Stay Healthy program encourages all

County employees to work safely and thereby reduce the incidents of injury and their associated costs.

Employee Assistance Program • Provide a confidential program to facilitate the emotional

well being of employees and their families in order to maintain a productive workforce to conduct the business of the County.

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Applicant Pool

Backgrounds &

Pre-Employment

Medical

Employee Accident/

Injury/Illness

Official Employment &

Prevention Programs

Employee Accident/Injury/Illness

Service Related • Industrial accident/injury/illness • Inability to perform essential job functions

Non Service Related

• Not related to a workplace injury or illness • Inability to perform essential job functions

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Interactive Process Service Related

• When permanent work restrictions are issued by the physician in a medical report

• Workers’ Compensation notifies the department of the restrictions

• Department determines if they can accommodate the employee through one of the following:

• Modified work • Alternative work

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Interactive Process Service Related

Accommodations • Job Restructuring • Alternate Assignments • New Position

• Minimum Qualifications • Promotion is not a Reasonable Accommodation • Effect of the Civil Service & Seniority Rules

• Leave of Absence • Length of Absence • With Right to Return? • If Unable to Return Refer to Retirement

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Interactive Process Department

Interactive Process • Meeting with Employee

• Review pertinent documentation • Consider EJF’s

• Identify Limitations with Employee • Propose Accommodations

• Department and employee • Department(s) makes Final Decision on

Accommodation(s)

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Interactive Process If the Department cannot

accommodate

• Employee is referred to HR Services

• HR Services interacts with employee to locate possible alternate positions countywide

• If no accommodation is found the employee is eligible to file for disability retirement

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Applicant Pool

Background &

Pre-Employment

Medical

Employee Accident/

Injury/Illness

Official Employment

& Prevention Programs

Retirement Process

A ROADMAP TO DISABILITY RETIREMENT

Disability Retirement In Perspective

17,252

1,644

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2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

2012

Total County Employees Worker's Compensation Claims Filed Disability Retirement Applications

62

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The Administrative Recommendation

Administrative Recommendation

• Background Facts

• Summary of evidence submitted by Applicant and the Association

• Proposed motion to adopt the administrative recommendation

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The Supporting Documents

• The Application for Disability Retirement

• Applicant’s Evidence – Medical Reports

– Personnel Records

• Association’s Evidence – Medical Reports

– Department Accommodation

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Staff Memorandum

Investigation • Intake Interview • Medical Records • Personnel Records • Medical Evaluation (SDCERA Panel Physician)

Legal Concurrence • Permanent Incapacity • Service Connection • Effective Date • Threshold Issues

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The Board’s Decision on Staff’s Recommendation

Application is GRANTED • Disability retirement allowance commences; OR • Re-Employment with the County of San Diego

Application is DENIED • Reinstatement (if not already service retired) • Regular Service Retirement • Writ of Mandate

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The Hearing De Novo

Request for Hearing De Novo

•30 days from Admin. Recommendation

Hearing De Novo

•150 days from Request for Hearing De Novo

Hearing Officer’s Recommended Decision

•30 days from Hearing De Novo

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The Board’s Decision on Staff’s Recommendation

Application is GRANTED • Disability retirement allowance commences; OR • Re-Employment with the County of San Diego

Application is DENIED • Reinstatement (if not already service retired) • Regular Service Retirement • Writ of Mandate

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Re-Assessment

The Board May Require Re-Evaluation of a Disability Beneficiary

• Under age 55 • Based on subjective claims • Board doctor recommended re-evaluation • Relatively young, w/factors of improvement in medical

condition • Additional treatment or surgery • Member engages in activity exceeding medical restrictions • Board-requested re-evaluation

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Opportunities • Explore increased record and data sharing

– SDCERA to request interactive process records – SDCERA to provide statistics on disability

applications by age, injury and department – County to identify potential re-employment

opportunities for disabled retirees – SDCERA to identify retired members slated for re-

evaluation – Quarterly meetings

• Increase awareness of Supplemental Disability – Applicants report need for more assistance

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