Personnel Committee approves standardized light‑duty job descriptions to speed return from workers' comp

The Tangipahoa Parish Personnel Committee voted to adopt the administration's recommendation to create standardized light‑duty job descriptions intended for workers returning from injury. Ron Gicoff introduced the package as a joint effort among workers' compensation, risk management, business services and human resources and said the templates would let physicians limit duties without requiring a new job description for each employee.

"When we have an individual out for workers' comp...the doctor will sign and make any adjustments that need to be instead of developing a brand new job description for the individual," Gicoff said. A committee member moved to adopt the recommendation and the chair seconded; after brief questions, the chair said the motion carried.

A committee member asked whether the forms could interfere with workers' compensation benefits; Gicoff replied they should not and instead ‘‘should expedite them returning to work.’’ A staff member added that the approach helps workers' compensation programs by getting employees back to work and earning wages rather than remaining at home: "What this does is it saves workers' comp. They actually come back to work and are earning that wage instead of staying home." The presentation noted the package contains "4 or 5" prewritten job descriptions for common roles, and that doctors could sign or modify them as needed.

The committee's action was framed as procedural approval of the templates, not creation of new positions. The chair declared the motion carried; no roll-call vote tally was recorded in the transcript. The committee then moved to the next agenda item.