Costs for treatment that helps injured workers return can be claimed

• TODAY (16 May 2016): Focus should be on rehabilitating injured worker, not just on MCs
• TODAY (23 May 2016): Costs for treatment that helps injured workers return can be claimed

1. We refer to Mr Chua Tiong Guan’s letter ("Focus should be on rehabilitating injured worker, not just on MCs"; 16 May).
2. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) strongly encourages employers to adopt a mindset that all work-related injuries and ill-health are preventable and strive to eliminate all workplace incidents.
3. We agree with the writer that when a worker is injured at work, employers should not only pay work injury compensation but also ensure that the injured workers have sufficient time to rest and recuperate. Employers should also help injured workers return to work by arranging for their rehabilitation. This will help employers attract and retain talent.
4. To facilitate the return to work by injured workers, the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) was recently amended to allow treatments that help workers recover and regain their ability to work be claimed as part of WICA’s medical expenses. These include costs related to case management, functional capacity evaluation and worksite assessment.

1. I refer to the report “Doc suspended over inadequate MCs for foreign worker” (May 12).
2. First, I applaud the migrant worker advocacy groups for raising awareness about the issues of inadequate medical certificates (MCs). However, there are deeper issues involved than just the number of medical leave days per se — namely, how injuries are managed.
3. When an injured worker goes on medical leave that is beyond 60 days, he gets only two-thirds of his full salary. If this lasts more than one year, the employer is not legally obliged to pay him anymore.
4. So, what is the point if a worker gets 400 days’ medical leave but not get adequately compensated?
5. Perhaps Singapore can learn from countries such as Australia, where it is mandatory for employers to institute a Return to Work programme — agreed among the attending doctor, the injured worker and his employer. The focus is not on the number of medical leave days but on how to rehabilitate the injured worker as best as possible, which also helps the employer manage his human resources.
6. In addition, it might not be fair to paint the employers alone in a bad light. There are benefits from maintaining safety records, not only for the company, but also for the client or even the authorities. These are contributing factors.
7. For instance, accident-free man-hours and accident records are considered for safety awards or during tender evaluations. It is easy to point fingers without fully understanding entire business processes.
8. While it is important to strive to be as safe as possible, there will be injuries, and it is about how we manage injuries to the satisfaction of all parties, rather than look at it solely from the perspective of serving a particular group; that is, workers.
9. Because what is the point if, at the end of the day, employers do not get contracts and these workers end up with no jobs?
10. Perhaps migrant worker advocacy groups, the National Trades Union Congress and Workplace Safety and Health Institute should consider the Return to Work model for implementation in Singapore.