The Michigan Summit on Workability – Final Report -10/16/09
AGENDA
Workability in Michigan – Action Group Meeting
DATE: June 18, 2009
10:00am – 12:00pm
Dawe Auditorium – Ingham Regional Medical Center
2720 S. Washington Avenue
Lansing, Michigan 48910 Map
1. Welcome (5 minutes)
a. The plan for this meeting.
b. Will someone agree to take notes?
2. Introductions (30 minutes)
Please state your name, organization, and professional role.
Were you involved in planning the Michigan summit?
Did you attend the summit?
3. In a nutshell: How did we get here? (15 minutes)
The ACOEM Statement; the 60 Summits Project; Workability in Michigan; the Michigan Summit on Workability
4. The outcomes of the Michigan Summit on Workability: (30 minutes)
Comprehensive report-in draft
Summary report-in draft
Workgroup recommendations and ongoing efforts
5. Our Organization: Workability in Michigan (15 minutes)
Name, purpose, structure
6. Plans for the next meeting (10 minutes)
a. July 16, 2009, 10am-12pm at Dawe Auditorium- Ingham Regional Medical Center
b. Agenda: WIM structure; Final report on the summit; Active/continuing projects; Meeting schedule
7. Evaluate this meeting (15 minutes)
How did this meeting go for you? Recommendations for next time?
Homework for Next Meeting:
Read Draft Report of our Summit (will be made available); Make your personal participation plan for this group; Invite someone to join you at next meeting.
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Directions to Ingham Regional Medical Center:
Directions from South or East: I- 96 …to I- 127 North to 496-west. Take second exit, exit 7A, Grand Avenue. Shift one lane to right, go through blinker. Next light is Washington Ave., turn left. Go about 1.5 miles south…on right side, just past Washington Park is driveway to office building. It is a one story office building, not a large auditorium structure.
From I-69–go to I 127 South to I-496 West. Take second exit, exit 7A, Grand Avenue. Shift one lane to right, go through blinker. Next light is Washington Ave., turn left. Go about 1.5 miles south…on right side, just past Washington Park is driveway to office building. It is a one story office building, not a large auditorium structure.
From West: I-96 East to I-496 East. Take Walnut Street exit, exit 6. Exit empties onto Main Street. Proceed East on Main Street to Washington Ave. Turn right. Go about 1.5 miles south…on right side, just past Washington Park is driveway to office building. It is a one story office building, not a large auditorium structure.
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Work is a central facet of modern life, and depressive disorders can significantly impact an individual’s ability to find, retain, and regain meaningful employment. Depressive disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder, are highly prevalent in the United States, affecting nearly one in five adults at some point in their life. These conditions are also among the top five sources of disability globally. Depressive disorders are often episodic and can be chronic, and thus the personal and social burdens of these conditions due to disability, utilization of healthcare services, and impaired quality of life are substantial.
Depression is one of the most costly health conditions for American employers. Nearly 63% of the $83 billion in total economic costs (including both direct costs of healthcare services and indirect financial costs) associated with depression annually are due to workplace losses. Depression is associated with $41 billion per year in lost productivity in the workplace from both absenteeism (depressed workers lose approximately 2.3 days per month) and “presenteeism” (depressed workers are often not able to accomplish as many tasks or perform at as high a level as workers without depression). Effective treatment has been shown to both reduce depressive symptoms and improve worker outcomes such as employee retention and productivity.
Unfortunately, many employment policies regarding depressive disorders and chronic health conditions, in general, are not informed by clinical understandings of these conditions and the role that employment can play in helping improve recovery. Studies have shown that workers who return to work soon after depressive episodes have better outcomes than those who are on long-term disability leave. Also, employer policies that limit voluntary leave-time may promote presenteeism by forcing depressed workers to come to work even when this could hamper their treatment plan. Employers may also feel constrained by litigation concerns, and adopt policies that discourage employees from seeking treatment for depressive disorders. Finally, employers can act as a strategic resource for addressing (or, unfortunately, promoting) stigma associated with depressive disorders by their policies regarding returning to work following an episode.
Dear Workability In Michigan Team:
Michigan is hard at work making sure that there is “No Worker Left Behind.” This certainly includes those injured on the job. Even in today’s troubled economy, progressive and innovative companies realize that using best practices such as injury prevention, integration of disability benefits systems, on-site vocational services, transitional work options, and partnerships with Employee Assistance Programs, among others, greatly enhances the chances that employees are able to stay at work, or return to work after injury or illness.
The Workers’ Compensation Agency supports the necessary dialogue between various stakeholders to determine the most comprehensive and collaborative approach to the Stay-At-Work/Return-To-Work process.
Very truly yours,
Jack A. Nolish
Director
This report focuses on the large number of people who due to a medical condition that should normally result in only a few days of work absence, end up withdrawing from work either permanently or for prolonged periods. For many of these workers, their conditions began as a common problem (e.g., a sprain, strain, depression, or anxiety), but escalated resulting in short-term, long-term, or permanent disability. This potentially preventable disability absence has unfortunate consequences for both the employer and the employee.
