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Occupational Health: Teachers

The Employee Assistance Service for Teachers

The EAS is the first stage in the development of an overall OHS for teachers provided by VHI. It offers teachers and their immediate family members with easy access to confidential counselling and to assist in coping with the effect of personal and work-related issues. The service which is free and confidential has been available since 2006 to teachers serving in primary and post-primary schools. The following services are available: Telephone Counselling – single sessions or short term structured counselling; Face to Face counselling – up to six counselling sessions. Counselling is provided on issues such as health, relationships, addictions, bereavement, stress, conflict, critical incident and trauma.

Employers Role

Those who appoint and employ teachers have responsibilities for ensuring the health, safety, well-being and educational progress of students. They also have a duty under Section 8 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to “ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of his or her employees”. As such an employer/board of management may seek advice from Medmark (the OHS), or may, as a result of a DES directive, be obliged to refer a teacher to the OHS. Referrals can be

• Non-discretionary: Teachers who have been absent as a result of illness for 12 or more weeks cumulatively or continuously in a 12 month period..
  

• Discretionary referrals: Teachers whom the employer has concerns relating to their medical fitness for work. The employer must inform the teacher of the decision to refer and outline why this decision is being made.

A referral is made by completing an online referral form by logging onto www.medmark4teachers.ie In the event of a board of management referring  an employee to Medmark, the board must make  a copy of the referral form available to the teacher together with a copy of the Frequently Asked Questions.

Occupational Health Service (OHS) Role

The Occupational Health Services provided by Medmark are:

• Pre-employment Medical Assessment,
• Medical Fitness to Return to Work,
• Sickness Absence
• Retirement on grounds of ill health.

Pre-employment Medical Assessment

All successful candidates being appointed for the first time to a teaching position in the Republic of Ireland or teachers returning from leave of absence or other break in service in excess of two full school years will be screened by pre-employment medical questionnaire.  The board of management should in this instance direct the prospective candidate to log onto www.medmark4teachers.ie in order to complete and return a pre-employment medical questionnaire online. When received, the pre-employment medical questionnaire is reviewed by the OHS. The OHS will issue notification to the employer confirming the candidate’s fitness to teach or will make contact with the candidate to clarify disclosed medical information. Once satisfactory clarification is received notification regarding fitness to teach will issue to the employer or the OHS will request the candidate to attend for a pre-employment medical. Once the pre-employment medical is complete, notification regarding fitness or other wise to teach will issue to the employer. 

Sickness Absence and Medical Fitness to Return to Work

A teacher may resume work where prior to resumption satisfactory medical certification of fitness for duty is submitted by the teacher and where the employer is satisfied having obtained advice from the OHS.
When dealing with a Sickness Absence or Medical Fitness to Return to Work a board of management may seek advice from Medmark (the OHS), or may, as a result of a DES directive, be obliged to refer a teacher to the OHS. Referrals can be
Non-discretionary: Teachers who have been absent as a result of illness for 12 or more weeks cumulatively or continuously in a 12 month period. Or
Discretionary referrals: Teachers whom the employer has concerns relating to their medical fitness for work. The employer must inform the teacher of the decision to refer and outline why this decision is being made.

Ill Health Retirement

A teacher, who believes s/he is permanently medically unfit for work, has the option to apply for early retirement on the grounds of ill health. There are two forms, to be completed when making an application for Ill Health Retirement
RET.D.1. to be returned to the Department
TMED1 to be returned to the Occupational Health Service

Publications

1. Employee Assistance Service for Teachers, VHI, Jan. 2010
2. Occupational Health Advice on Medical Fitness to Teach, DES, July 2008
3. OHS Standard Operating Procedures Manual, DES, July 2008

DES Circulars

1. Circular 10/2011 - Career Break Scheme for Registered Teachers
2. Circular 60/2010 - Sick Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers in Primary Schools
3. Circular 35/2010 - Unpaid Leave for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary Schools
4. Circular 65/2007 - Introduction of OHS for Teachers
5. Circular 32/2007 - Teacher Absences
6. Circular 26/2007 - Information Notes on the Completion of Absence Report Forms