Irving ISD and Waco ISD Share their Formula for Return-to-Work Success

Workplace injuries come with costs. Employers may have to hire additional help or pay overtime to make up for lost productivity. Meanwhile, injured employees’ financial and emotional health suffer the longer they're away from the team. To control the far-reaching impact of injuries, Irving ISD and Waco ISD committed to a return-to-work program.

"For Irving ISD, it really came down to taking care of our employees while also being responsible with district resources,” said Director of Benefits, HRIS Operations and Risk Management Ashly Witek. “If we can safely get an employee back to work during their recovery, that is a win for the employee and the district. It helps reduce lost time, gives us greater control over workers’ compensation costs, and demonstrates to the Fund that we are actively managing our claims."

Q&A

Irving ISD Director of Benefits, HRIS Operations and Risk Management Ashly Witek and Waco ISD Benefits Manager Alicia Rodriguez shared lessons learned from developing their district’s return-to-work programs, including strategies for gaining buy-in, communicating with stakeholders, and helping employees safely return to work.

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced when building your return-to-work program, and how did you address it?

A. Building support across the organization and maintaining consistent communication are some of the biggest challenges. Both districts found that leadership buy-in and ongoing communication with supervisors are essential. Training campus and department staff on return-to-work expectations helped reinforce the process, while strong relationships and trust with district leaders made it easier to gain support for accommodating employees during recovery.

Q: What concerns do supervisors and/or injured employees most often express, and how do you address them?

A. Supervisors often have questions about how an employee's restrictions will affect daily operations and whether modified duties are available. Employees are frequently anxious about when and how they can return to work. Both districts emphasized the importance of clear communication about restrictions, accommodations, and recovery timelines. Helping employees understand they can return on modified duty before resuming full duty can ease concerns and keep them engaged in the workplace during recovery.

Pro Tip (Alicia)

"No employee wants to be hurt on the job. It's important to make sure they know they're not alone."

Q: How do you identify appropriate modified-duty assignments?

A. Rather than relying on a standard list of modified-duty positions, both districts focus on identifying tasks that align with an employee's restrictions and a department's needs. Supervisors play an important role in identifying meaningful work the employee can safely perform. Examples include administrative support, office responsibilities, or other temporary duties. Flexibility allows districts to create accommodations that benefit the employee and the organization.

Modified duty in practice (Ashly)

“One employee who broke their foot was temporarily assigned to another department with an immediate staffing need. The arrangement allowed the employee to remain at work during recovery while providing support to another department. To me, that is exactly what an effective return-to-work program should look like.”

Q: How do you work with supervisors and medical providers to ensure employees can return safely?

A. Communication and collaboration are critical to a safe return-to-work process. Both districts maintain regular contact with supervisors, employees, and medical providers to ensure restrictions are clearly understood and appropriately accommodated. Sharing job descriptions, requesting clarification when needed, and communicating updates after follow-up appointments helps everyone stay aligned.

Q: What's one common misconception districts have about return-to-work programs?

A.Many districts assume they need a formal bank of modified-duty positions before launching a return-to-work program. In reality, successful programs are often built by identifying available tasks that align with an employee's restrictions and the district's operational needs. District leaders and supervisors can work together to create meaningful assignments without having every scenario mapped out in advance. The key is focusing on what employees can safely do rather than what they cannot.

Pro Tip (Ashly)

"Instead of trying to fit every employee into the same type of assignment, we're looking at what they can do and finding a way for that work to be meaningful and helpful to the department."

Q: If a district wants to launch a return-to-work program, what's the first step you would recommend?

A. Don't overcomplicate it. Start by building leadership support and helping supervisors understand the purpose of return-to-work. Both districts said successful programs begin when leaders view return-to-work as a way to support employee recovery while also serving as responsible stewards of district resources. Training principals, supervisors, and administrative staff on expectations can help create consistency across the organization.