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Employment Relations Division

Measurable Objectives for the 2013 Biennium

HUMAN RIGHTS BUREAU GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

  • Goal #1: Conduct timely impartial investigations of charges of illegal discrimination under state and federal law.
    • Complete case investigations within 120 days for housing charges and 180 days for all other charges in accordance with state statutory time lines.
  • Goal #2: Insure appropriate filing within statutory time lines and jurisdiction of applicable state and federal discrimination statutes.
    • Trained staff will screen complaint inquiries and, when appropriate, prepare written complaints within two weeks of all intake interviews.
  • Goal # 3: Foster early resolution of charges.
    • Provide mediation during the 180 day investigation period, when requested by parties to a case.
    • Successfully conciliate 55% of cases certified for hearing.
  • Goal # 4: Provide technical assistance and educational outreach to businesses, advocacy groups and interested citizens.
    • Participate in 15 Assistance to Business Clinics annually.
    • Participate in a minimum of 10 other workshops and conferences on disability issues, race relations, discrimination issues in the workplace, education and public accommodations.
    • Respond to business rights inquiries from the public within two business days.

LABOR STANDARDS BUREAU :

  • Goal #1: Issue initial determinations on Wage and Hour complaints in a timely and efficient manner.
    • Maintain at least a 75% completion and strive for a 76% completion within 55 days of receipt.
  • Goal #2: Conduct timely dispute resolution and settlement of Wage and Hour complaints.
    • Maintain the 4% of cases forwarded to formal hearings processes.
    • Resolve at least 70% of the contested cases through mediation prior to hearing.
  • Goal #3: Foster alternative dispute resolution methodologies.
    • Actively participate in Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) contract mediation and grievance mediation as requested.

SAFETY and HEALTH BUREAU

  • Goal #1: Assist employers in complying with workplace safety and health standards.
    • Conduct compliance inspections of 220 public employers.
    • Conduct quarterly inspections on Montana’s six coal mines.
    • Conduct annual sand and gravel inspection
    • Provide technical assistance to private employers on workplace safety and health through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration grant.
  • Goal #2: Aid in professional development for Montana employers and safety professionals.
    • Provide 30 basic and advanced training courses in workplace safety and health through the Montana Occupational Safety and Health Institute.
  • Goal #3: Provide mine training courses for Montana employers.
    • Train 1,000 – 1,500 miners and mining contractors in new miner training/refresher training through the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Small Miners training grant.
  • Goal #4: Create a safety culture via Statewide Safety Initiative:
    • Promote safety and health management systems
    • Transform societal attitude in Montana
    • Execute social marketing campaign
      • Reduce Montana’s injury and illness rate to national average (4.4 injuries/100 FTE)
      • Develop, implement disability management program to reduce time away from work to national average (88 days)
      • Contain medical injury compensations costs

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS ASSISTANCE BUREAU

  • Goal #1: Provide timely monitoring and regulatory services for the workers’ compensation industry and claimants.
    • Process 100% of orders within 14 days of receipt. This typically requires issuance of determinations on 1,700 orders annually.
  • Goal #2: Provide timely, impartial, and equitable dispute resolution of benefit issues between claimants and insurers.
    • Maintain at least a 70% to 80% resolution rate for all workers’ compensation mediation petitions filed. This typically requires conducting mediation conferences and issuing recommendations on 1,300 disputes annually.
    • Complete the mediation process on 100% of cases within 80 days of receipt of a petition for mediation. The timeframes may be extended by request and agreement of the parties.
  • Goal #3: Enhance the electronic collection, quality, production, and sharing of workers’ compensation information and data.
    • Complete the Annual Report by July of each year.
    • Prepare at least one special study to be made available to the workers’ compensation community each fiscal year.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION REGULATION BUREAU

  • Goal #1: Develop comprehensive internet based information and technical assistance for the medical community, insurers, adjusters, employers, workers and the general public.
    • Develop comprehensive website for Montana Utilization and Treatment Guideline information.
  • Goal #2: Respond to applications and renewal requests in a timely manner.
    • Conduct timely compliance investigations of renewing applicants.
    • Streamline the Independent Contractor process to allow documents filed with a prior application to be verified and used in meeting the requirements for the current application.
  • Goal #3: Provide technical assistance, public service announcements and educational outreach to the public about Title 39, Chapters 8, 9, 71, 72, and 73, MCA.
    • When requested, the staff correctly answers public inquiries. Staff who are sent to public presentations are knowledgeable of these chapters of the MT law.
    • Participate in a minimum of 10 workshops and conferences annually to provide information about the programs the Bureau administers.

Employment Relations Division Accomplishments

Employment Relations Division Website: http://erd.dli.mt.gov/