The biggest mistake employers make is letting injured employees languish at home.
Make sure you keep the lines of communication open from Day One.
Employees must know if they are injured "return-to-work is the name of the game." Establish your expectations BEFORE injuries occur. A good time to communicate this message is in your employee orientation at time of hire. Your message is, "employees are expected to meet weekly and return-to-work in modified duty" as soon as treating physicians give the go-ahead.
In this way, employees won't have the chance to think about turning away from work and languishing at home watching the soaps. It simply won't be a possibility.
5 Useful Tips to Return Your Injured Workers to Work
1. Accompany the injured employee to the medical treatment facility.
2. Make sure the treating physician faxes the workability form back to you.
3. Call the employee on the first day of injury and make kindly inquiries. Be genuinely concerned about the worker's well being.
4. Send a get well card – if you can, get it signed by everyone in the employee's immediate surroundings. Have employees add notes of good will and friendliness. This has a powerful impact – reminding injured employees, that, yes, they are cared about and a valuable asset to their workplace. This gesture definitely reinforces those ties.
5. Schedule weekly meetings, and to the extent possible, have them onsite so the employee remembers the feel of the workplace. Ensure some work friends drop in to say, "Hi!" (workersxzcompxzkit)
Remember, if you're not taking charge of communication, someone else will. Injured employees start thinking about attorneys and before you know it you are locked in a lawsuit. You lose both money and a valued employee. Make sure you're the one communicating with injured employees.
"FRAUD PREVENTION" PODCAST click here: http://www.workerscompkit.com/gallagher/mp3 By: Private investigator with 25 years experience.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker about workers' comp issues.
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