Work Programs

Work Hardening

• Multidisciplinary, structured, real or simulated work tasks

• Focuses on productivity, safety, physical tolerance, and work behaviors

• Assembling, Lifting, Speed, Safety, Organizational skills

• Uses graded conditioning tasks to simulate job demands

• Usually full-day programs (5 days/week)

• Includes physical reconditioning, ergonomics, and education

Work Conditioning

• Unidisciplinary (OT or PT)

• Focus is on physical conditioning: strength, endurance, flexibility, and ROM

• Simulated tasks, less focus on psychosocial or vocational components

• Shorter duration than work hardening

• “physical rehab for work”

Ergonomics Program

• Identifies risk factors in the workplace (repetition, posture, force)

• Recommends modifications to reduce injury risk

• May include equipment, posture education, and task modifications

• Focus is preventative

• Keywords: prevention, education, modification

Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

• Standardized assessment of a person’s capacity to perform work-related tasks

  • Flexibility, Strength, Balance, Lifting, Squatting, Cardio

• Typically 4-6 hours; may span multiple days

• Used to:

  • determine the ability to return to work

  • inform disability status or legal claims

  • assist in job placement or accommodations

• Includes lifting, carrying, posture, endurance, and cognitive demands

Job Analysis

• Breaks down physical, cognitive, social demands of a specific job

• Looks at the job, not the person

• Includes:

  • physical demand level (light, medium, heavy)

  • essential job functions

  • tools/equipment used

• OTs conduct these to support accommodations or write job descriptions

Pre-Employment Testing

• Tests a worker’s ability to safely perform job-specific tasks

• Performed before hiring

• Focuses on essential job demands, not general fitness

• Must be valid, job-related, and nondiscriminatory

Vocational Rehabilitation

• Helps individuals with disabilities or barriers to work return to or enter the workforce

• OTs may help with:

  • Job skill training

  • Work readiness

  • Environmental adaptations

  • Assistive technology

Transitional Work Programs

• Modified or light-duty assignments to ease transition back to full work

• Gradually increase job demands over time

• OT may collaborate with employer to modify tasks or schedules

Work Behavior Inventory

• Assesses psychosocial and behavioral aspects of work performance

• Often used in mental health or vocational rehab

Situational Assessments

• Observe client performing a real or simulated job task

• Often used for transition planning or return-to-work readiness

JDA (Job Demand Analysis)

• Looks at actual job tasks and physical/cognitive/social demands

• Helps define essential functions and ADA accommodations

• Can be apart of the FCE or Work Hardening program

American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Employers must provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities

• OT role: assist with modifying tasks, equipment, and environment

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

• Ensures safe and healthful working conditions

• OTs support OSHA by educating about body mechanics and ergonomics

Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)

• Prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs receiving federal funding

• Includes vocational rehab and public employment

General Vocational Evaluation

• Looks at a client’s ability to do any type of work

Specific Vocational Evaluation

• Looks at the client’s readiness to return to a specific job

Worksite Evaluation

• Assess the client’s skills at their actual job

• We determine if they can return as is or need reasonable accommodations

• Ex. Modified work hours, adaptive keyboard, phone headset

Sheltered Workshop

• Individuals with significant disabilities can gain basic work skills through sheltered workshops

• Tasks will be simple:

  • sorting, counting, bagging, packaging, assembling

• Stepping stone or end goal

Clubhouse

• Community re-entry

• Supported community for people with mental illness

• Members have specific jobs to keep the clubhouse running

  • Clerical, food services, maintenance

• Helps members develop basic work habits and social skills

• Goal is to be able to work in the community

Transitional Employment

• Internship to build skills and confidence for work experience

• We support them with additional training to get ready for competitive employment

Supported Employment

• We support them on the job

  • client with poor interpersonal skills needs help discussing work issues with their boss

Work Readiness Programs

• Helpful for clients who are considering working again or for the first time

• Job search: identifying interests, building a resume, interview skills, job hunting, work goals

• Soft skills: social skills, work attire, confidence