DWD 80.49(3)(3) 80-week rule. Extension of vocational rehabilitation benefits beyond 80 weeks may not be authorized pursuant to s. 102.61 (1) or (1m), Stats., if the primary purpose of further training is to improve upon preinjury earning capacity rather than restoring it.

DWD 80.49(4)(a)(a) “IPE” means an individualized plan for employment developed by a specialist which identifies the vocational goal of a retraining program, the intermediate objectives to reach that goal and the methods by which progress will be measured.

DWD 80.49(4)(b)(b) “Retraining program” means a course of instruction on a regular basis which provides an employee with marketable job skills or enhances existing job skills to make them marketable.

DWD 80.49(4)(c)(c) “Specialist” means a person certified by the department to provide vocational rehabilitation services to injured employees under s. 102.61 (1m), Stats.

DWD 80.49(4)(d)(d) Except as provided in sub. (5), “suitable employment” means a job within the employee’s permanent work restrictions for which the employee has the necessary physical capacity, knowledge, transferable skills and ability and which pays at least 85 percent of the employee’s preinjury average weekly wage.

DWD 80.49(5)(a)(a) A job offer at or above 85% of the average weekly wage shall not constitute suitable employment if:

DWD 80.49(5)(a)1.1. An employee’s education, training or employment experience demonstrates a career or vocational path; the average weekly wage on the date of injury does not reflect the earnings which the employee could reasonably have expected in the demonstrated career or vocational path; and the permanent work restrictions caused by the injury impede the employee’s ability to pursue the demonstrated career or vocational path; or,

DWD 80.49(5)(a)2.2. The employee’s average weekly wage is calculated pursuant to the part-time wage rules in s. 102.11 (1) (f), Stats., or s. DWD 80.51 (4) or (5) and the employee’s average weekly wage for compensation purposes exceeds the gross average weekly wages of the part-time employment.

DWD 80.49(5)(b)(b) The average weekly wage for purposes of determining suitable employment under par. (a) 1. shall be determined by expert vocational evidence regarding the average weekly wage that the employee may have reasonably expected in the demonstrated career or vocational path.

DWD 80.49(5)(c)(c) The average weekly wage for purposes of determining suitable employment under par. (a) 2. shall be determined by expert vocational evidence regarding the employee’s age, educational potential, past job experience, aptitude, proven abilities, and ambitions on the date of injury.

DWD 80.49(6)(a)(a) A person may apply to the department for certification as a specialist at any time. The department may require applicants to submit, and certified specialists to regularly report, information describing their services, including the geographic areas served by the specialist and the nature, cost and outcome of services provided to employees under this section.

DWD 80.49(6)(b)(b) After evaluating the information submitted under par. (a), the department shall certify a person as a specialist if the person has a license or certificate which is current, valid and otherwise in good standing as one of the following, or may certify the person as provided in par. (c):

DWD 80.49(6)(b)1.1. Certified professional counselor with specialty in vocational rehabilitation from the department of safety and professional services.

DWD 80.49(6)(b)4.4. Certified vocational evaluator from the commission on certification of work adjustment and vocational evaluation specialists.

DWD 80.49 NoteNote: The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) is located at 1699 E. Woodfield Road, Suite 300, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173. The Certification of Disability Management Specialist Commission (CDMS) is located at 8735 W. Higgins Road, Suite 300, Chicago, Illinois 60631. The Commission on Certification of Work Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists is located at 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1430, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-3015.

DWD 80.49(6)(c)(c) The department may certify a person as a specialist if the person has state or national certification, licensing or accreditation in vocational rehabilitation other than that required in par. (b) which is acceptable to the department. The department may require a specialist certified under this paragraph to serve a period of probation up to 3 years as a condition of certification. The department shall specify the conditions of the probationary certification. The department may revoke the probationary certification at any time without a hearing for conduct which violated the conditions of probation established by the department or conduct sufficient to decertify the specialist under par. (e).

DWD 80.49(6)(d)(d) Unless certification is suspended or revoked under par. (e), certification by the department under par. (b) is valid for 3 years. If a specialist applies to the department to renew his or her certification before the expiration of the certification period, the certification shall remain in effect until the department renews or denies the application to renew. A renewal is valid for three years.

DWD 80.49(6)(e)(e) Only the department may initiate a proceeding to suspend or revoke a specialist’s certification under this section. The department may suspend or revoke a specialist’s certification, after providing the specialist with a hearing, when the department determines that the specialist did not maintain a current, valid certificate or license specified in par. (b) or the specialist intentionally or repeatedly:

DWD 80.49(6)(e)2.2. Fails to comply with the orders, rulings, reporting requirements or other instructions of the department or its representatives;

DWD 80.49(6)(e)4.4. Misrepresents the employee’s work history, age, education, medical history or condition, diagnostic test results or other factors significantly related to an employee’s retraining program.

DWD 80.49(6)(f)(f) The department shall maintain a current listing of all specialists certified by the department, including the areas they serve, and provide the list upon request.