Definition - What does Worker Function mean?
A worker function is a task within a set of standard duties, responsibilities, and tasks associated with a position that employees perform based on important factors corresponding to a job description title. Potential candidates for hire and/or current employees recovering from an injury are subject to a formal criteria that assesses and measures cognitive abilities, environmental conditions, nature of work, and physical demands. The human resources department constructs a duty statement covering all aspects of a job description describing worker functions that contribute to an efficient and productive workforce.
SureHire explains Worker Function
Because the workplace is competitive, worker functions serves as an effective gauge in determining a candidate’s proficiency to carry out basic job elements requiring cooperation, mental acuity, repetition, and stamina. Job descriptions provide a comprehensive outline detailing several categories that inform candidates about expectations combining relevant facts linked to a specific trade or vocation. For instance, many occupations are labor-intensive involving frequent carrying, handling, lifting, pulling, pushing, squatting, coupled with exposure to high noise decibel (loudness) levels and inhalation of noxious odors/smells.
A physical demands analysis (PDA) is a methodical approach conducted by a worker and/or employer representative who investigates essential and nonessential duties/tasks, documenting environmental hazards, use of equipment/machinery, and worksite conditions. For employees who sustain work-related injuries, a full PDA report provides objective evidence to confirm whether individuals can meet all worker functions in question. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act of 1997 is a federal mandate that protects injured employees against discrimination, incorporating a Functional Ability Evaluation (FAE) for purposes of reinstating individuals to former positions.
Report findings encompass worker function subsets (i.e. cognition, physical demands, teamwork), weighing the results from each case against standard requirements to complete job duties and tasks at an optimal level.
