Kentucky’s Inclusive Worker Health Leadership Network

Annual Report to the Governor - Year Two

April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023

Kentucky’s Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN KY) is a U.S. Department of Labor grant focused on helping people who have non work-related injuries or illnesses continue to work. RETAIN KY supports the commonwealth’s commitment to the health and well-being of its citizens and workforce development by providing immediate, customized intervention and supports for workers who experience injury or illness off the job so they can stay at work or return to work. RETAIN KY helps employers keep valuable staff and helps employees keep their jobs. RETAIN KY also is helping to address the enduring implications of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of Kentucky’s workforce.

RETAIN KY partners include the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, University of Kentucky Human Development Institute, Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, University of Kentucky HealthCare, University of Louisville Health, Kentucky Department for Public Health, Kentucky Hospital Association, Council of State Governments, and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

A key strategy in RETAIN KY’s efforts to promote multisystem improvement, innovation and change is the Inclusive Worker Health Leadership Network (IWHLN). This network, comprised of medical professionals, public health leaders, employers, workforce development and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, focuses on the coordination of state and local initiatives to accelerate opportunities for Kentuckians to stay at work or return to work.

The IWHLN’s efforts align with and support Kentucky’s Employment First policy, helping to ensure that competitive integrated employment is considered the first and primary option for persons with disabilities of working age who desire to become employed. Relatedly, Employment First strengthens employer outreach through RETAIN KY by providing employers a policy incentive to engage with their employees who have disabilities or who may be at risk of developing a disability. Recognizing the impact of health and the healthcare system on bolstering an inclusive workforce in the commonwealth, this diverse group of practitioners and leaders make annual recommendations to the governor regarding policy and systems change to promote timely, coordinated and effective services, leading to better employment outcomes for Kentucky citizens.

2023 Recommendations

To advance state workforce efforts, the Kentucky IWHLN recommends the governor consider taking the following actions:

Recommendation #1

Direct the relevant state agency or department to establish an educational training program for employers, including HR managers, to increase employer awareness of workplace accommodations and disability employment issues with emphasis on the following:

• increasing access to reasonable accommodations in the workplace and removing employment barriers for Kentuckians with disabilities to grow Kentucky’s workforce and address its labor shortage.

• Improving limited or lack of awareness and understanding about disability employment issues, including access to workplace accommodations to positively impact Kentucky’s workforce development efforts and economic advancement.

• dispelling common myths related to disability and employment by increasing employer and employee awareness