Seven Keys for Senior Management Involvement in Work Comp

Although senior management generally does not actively participate in injury management projects, you need their approval and support to embark on an injury management program.

Senior management is most interested in the bottom line:

What the program is costing the company.
How much money the company saves on the outcome, such as in shorter duration of injuries and illnesses, a return-to-work/transitional duty program brings employees back to work more quickly, lower experience modifications, etc.

Following are some of the ways senior management can be expected to participate in an injury management program. Remember, the injury coordinator must compile and present the statistics senior management needs to make informed decisions. Once these numbers are compiled, senior management will be able to perform the tasks listed below.

Determine the cost of workers’ compensation at their facilities.
Explain the Sales Required to Pay for Accidents grid so management can grasp the concept of how much it costs in sales to pay for workers’ compensation.
Recognize basic elements of the your company’s new injury management program and be able to ask the middle managers at least four questions about their program:
Ask for the number of injuries at the facility this month.
Ask how many employees are currently out of work.
Ask how many employees are currently on transitional duty.
Ask if there are any obstacles where senior management can be of assistance.
Discuss injury management issues with middle managers as they occur at their respective facilities.
Appoint staff to provide oversight and input to handle claims and guide the injury management implementation program. A dedicated staff may not always be necessary, but it is important to provide enough staff to closely monitor claims
Encourage a positive approach suggesting a “CAN DO” attitude. Even a company with very few injuries benefits from implementing a system, by controlling the handling of claims and lawsuits
Require the “Reduction in Lost Workdays” as a key performance indicator of how well each division is achieving return-to-work goals. Use this indicator as a consideration in middle management’s bonus/payment process. Divisions with the best reduction in lost workday indicators would warrant the highest bonuses. (workersxzcompxzkit).