A key component in controlling Workers Compensation costs is getting your employees back to work. This allows them to be productive while containing expenses for your operation.
At Risk Advisors of America, we collaborate with our clients to develop an effective Return to Work (RTW) program that promotes modified duty or transitional duty programs for injured employees. Studies show that workers offered modified duty go back to work twice as often as those who aren’t. In addition, an RTW program can also decrease fraudulent behavior.
The hallmark of a successful RTW program is early intervention, beginning in advance of the injury/illness claim with the use of targeted communications and training for supervisors, medical providers and employees. We’ll help implement a program that involves: day-of-injury reporting, early intervention response, event and information tracking and problem case staffing (addressing an employee’s claim history, performance, etc.).
A Return to Work (RTW) program helps your employees get back to work as soon as possible after a job-related injury or illness. It’s good for your business, your employees, and for your bottom line.
Research has shown that effective Return to Work strategies promote a faster recovery and prevent a downward spiral into disability. They also reduce the financial impact on your Workers’ Compensation premiums. Employers with better injury records pay less – so less time off work translates into less impact on the premiums you pay.
In setting up a successful Return to Work strategy management must be committed to making the program work. You need to believe in the benefits an RTW program offers both to your employees and your business. Develop a written procedure for returning injured workers to the workplace, and make it an integral part of your employee orientation. And, you need to designate someone in the organization as the Return-to-Work lead.
There are several Return to Work options you can implement to get your employees back working. Here we’ll give you a brief description of each:
- Job Modification: This involves changing the way a job is normally performed to accommodate an injured employee’s physical restrictions.
- Part-time Work: This can be an option when the physician has yet to release the employee for full-time work. The doctor will monitor your employee’s progress, authorizing gradual increases in hours worked and the variety of tasks that may be performed.
- Alternative Work: This means providing a different job within your organization that meets the physical restrictions your employee’s health-care provider specifies.
- Permanent Jobs: This may mean offering a new permanent position – it may be alternative work or a modification of the job you employee held when injured.
As part of our Risk Advisor 360 platform, we offer our customers guidance in establishing effective Return to Work programs. We would be happy to discuss your specific needs and how we can help your business get employees back to work and reduce Workers Comp premiums. Give us a call at (407) 571-1320.