OAR 436-120-0157: Determining Substantial Handicap to Employment

(1) A counselor must do a substantial handicap evaluation as part of the eligibility evaluation when applicable. (2) To complete the substantial handicap evaluation the counselor must submit a report documenting the following information about the worker: (a) Relevant work history for at least the preceding five years; (b) Level of education, proficiency in spoken and written English or other languages, and achievement or aptitude test data if it exists; (c) Adjusted weekly wage and suitable wage; (d) Permanent limitations due to the injury; (e) An analysis of the worker's transferable skills, if any; (f) A list of physically suitable jobs for which the worker has the knowledge, skills, and abilities, that pay a suitable wage, and for which a reasonable labor market is documented to exist as described in subsection (g); (g) An analysis of the worker's labor market using standard labor market reference materials, including but not limited to information provided by the Employment Department’s Oregon Labor Market Information System (OLMIS) and Oregon Wage Information (OWI) (available on the Oregon Employment Department’s website at www.qualityinfo.org/). When using OWI data, the presumed standard will be the 10th percentile unless there is sufficient evidence that a higher or lower wage is more appropriate; and (h) Consideration of the vocational impact of any limitations that existed before the injury. (3) When determining the worker's eligibility for vocational assistance, the insurer may consider any knowledge, skills, and abilities the worker gained after the date of injury or aggravation that resulted from training provided by the employer; however, the insurer may not include any knowledge, skills, or abilities the worker gained at their own expense after the date of injury or aggravation.