Planning Ahead Helps Mitigate Losses for Employees on Overseas Assignment

When a company has employees traveling outside the U.S. or stationed outside the U.S. on temporary or permanent assignment, there are many post-loss activities to consider. These may be quite different than for U.S.-based employees. Pre-placement Screening – Consider whether pre-placement medical exam in necessary for employees traveling abroad is prudent because medical care may not be readily available overseas. Prepare an Assignment Letter – Provide employees on temporary or permanent assignment a letter describing their assignment, location, wages, any additional allowances such as schooling for children or job placement for spouses. This information will be useful for the employee and also for the carrier in the event their is a loss as this helps determine the lost wages and other benefits to which they may be entitled. Account Instructions – Make sure the adjusters know who to contact in the U.S. if there is a loss overseas. Claim handling strategy may be different, and perhaps the U.S. risk manager will want to be notified on all overseas claims. Every step should be spelled out in advance and listed in the account instructions. Investigation – Several considerations in claims investigations are that claims must be reported rapidly. The should be reported within 24 hours. The claims handling packet from an employer may be different for overseas losses than for U.S. based losses. Witness Statements, Supervisor Statements, Medical Reports, must all be obtained immediately and there may have variations for overseas injuries, so review these documents with that in mind. There will be company investigations and insurer investigations. There is much to consider when a company has employees traveling or stationed outside the U.S. These are only a few of the considerations For more cost savings tips go to WC Cost Reduction Tips. Show the REAL cost of workers comp with the Real Cost Calculator. Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws are different. Consult with your corporate legal counsel before implementing any cost containment programs. ©2008 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact I[email protected]