Abilities Management Advisor

Abilities Management Advisor

**Job Number**:2438

**Job Type**: Full-Time
**Temp Contract Length**:
**Location**: 150 Frederick St - Regional Admin Headquarters
**Job Category**: Human Resources
**Number of Positions**:1
**Department**: Abilities Management and Employee Health Services
**Division**: Human Resources
**Hours of Work**: 35
**Union**: Management/Management Support
**Grade**: Management/Management Support Grade 05
**Salary Range**: $83,556.20 - $104,431.60 per year

**About Us**

The Region of Waterloo is a thriving, diverse community committed to fostering opportunities for current and future generations. Home to over 674,000 residents and expected to grow to nearly one million by 2051. Guided by our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, “Growing with Care,” we focus on equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Our mission is to provide essential services that enhance the quality of life for all residents, while our core values emphasize caring for people and the land we share. Join us and be part of a team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in our community.

Dish with One Spoon Wampum:

- Waterloo Region is part of the Dish with One Spoon wampum, a treaty guiding our commitment to:

- Recognizing our shared humanity and land
- Taking only what we need
- Leaving some for others
- Keeping the dish clean
- This agreement underpins our vision, mission, and core values, and reinforces our dedication to meaningful reconciliation and equity.

**The Role**

Administers disability claims management and return to work coordination, including sick leave, short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), WSIB, and medical accommodations.

**Duties/Responsibilities**
- Supports and monitors employees who are absent from work due to occupational and non-occupational illness/ injury. Provides guidance and education on sick leave and claims processes, including STD, LTD and WSIB.
- Collects and reviews medical information to determine medical fitness for work and identify restrictions and limitations. Liaises with treatment providers and physicians where necessary to clarify employees’ ability to engage in work duties.
- Determines the need for independent medical assessments and functional abilities evaluations and initiates processes to obtain same.
- Recommends alternatives and provides guidance to employees and management regarding workplace accommodations.
- Develops individualized return-to-work/ accommodation plans for employees, including documentation, to ensure timely and safe reintegration into the workplace.
- Coordinates return-to-work meetings with parties including employees, management, union representation, and internal/external stakeholders, per collective agreements, policies, and procedures.
- Maintains detailed notes and documentation of communication and actions taken on claims using electronic management systems (i.e., Parklane).
- Operates within the parameters of legislation, collective agreements, external and internal policies and procedures, and provides advice to internal HR partners, management, employees, and union representatives regarding claims management, return to work, and accommodation.
- Provides recommendations to client departments, union representatives, and HR partners to identify suitable alternate job placements for employees requiring occupational change. Coordinates plans with employees, management, WSIB, insurance carriers, union representatives, and health care providers; modifies plans to meet changing needs.
- Liaises with WSIB representatives to manage claims, including negotiating return-to-work plans, initiating objection process, and coordinating return-to-work meetings. Calculates recovered sick bank hours for individual claims. Attends WSIB-level appeals.
- Liaises with STD/ LTD insurance carriers to obtain information regarding employee claim status to determine return-to-work timeframes.
- Collaborates and provides input on new/ revised program policies, procedures, and tools related to disability claims management, return to work, and accommodation.
- Provides troubleshooting support, training, and assistance to internal users of data collection software.
- Performs software maintenance and data updates of Parklane WSIB system. Analyzes Parklane report information (e.g., incidents, lost time, cost) to identify trends and assist clients with areas of concern.
- Performs related duties as required.

**Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities**
- Knowledge of current medical treatment and rehabilitative/ therapeutic techniques/ terminology, normally acquired through an undergraduate degree in health sciences (e.g., occupational therapy, human kinetics, kinesiology, physiotherapy, designation as a Registered Nurse), plus directly related vocational rehabilitation counselling experience in a unionized environment.
- Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, collective agreements, and related legislation (e.g., WSIB, human rights, health an