Purpose

To ensure that staff maintain the physical capabilities necessary to perform essential job functions safely and effectively, protecting the wellbeing of both students and employees.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, including but not limited to:

• Direct care staff in our residential and school programs
• Staff responsible for emergency response, physical restraint, or de-escalation
• All other positions as determined by Hillcrest leadership

Policy Statement

Hillcrest requires employees to undergo a job-related fitness-for-duty assessment to verify their ability to perform essential physical functions of their role. These assessments are:

• Job-related and consistent with business necessity
• Applied uniformly to all employees within the same position classification
• Conducted by a qualified health provider identified by the employer and at no cost to the employee

Frequency of Assessments

• Baseline Exam: Conducted as part of pre-employment onboarding for all new hires
• Trigger-Based Assessment: May be required outside the regular schedule in cases such as:
  • Return from injury or extended medical leave
  • Observable difficulty in performing essential functions
  • Involvement in an incident suggesting possible diminished capacity

Assessment Components

The fitness-for-duty evaluation will include only those elements necessary to verify ability to perform essential physical functions. The evaluation will not include unrelated medical testing or inquiries.

Outcomes

The health provider will report only whether the employee is:

• Fit for duty
• Fit for duty with restrictions (restrictions must be clearly linked to essential job functions)
• Not fit for duty

Confidentiality

All medical information will be handled in compliance with ADA, HIPAA, and applicable state laws, and kept in a separate confidential medical file.

Employee Rights

Employees have the right to:

• Request reasonable accommodation for a disability
• Provide additional medical documentation for review
• Appeal determinations through Human Resources

Fitness-for-Duty and Participation in Essential Job Duties

Staff are expected to maintain fitness-for-duty to ensure their ability to perform essential job responsibilities, especially those safety-sensitive responsibilities related to critical and immediate responses to acute needs of students when indicated. Staff who are experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, or any other significant health concern that may impact their ability to carry out essential duties must promptly inform supervisory staff. If such symptoms arise during the course of a physical intervention or restraint, the staff member must alert other staff in the area so they can be safely replaced in the intervention and seek appropriate medical attention. Additionally, any staff member who observes a colleague exhibiting significant health symptoms that may impair performance of essential duties is obligated to report their observations to supervisory staff without delay.  Supervisors are authorized to reassign duties when necessary to protect staff and student safety.