Return-To-Work: Create a Win/Win in Your Work Comp Program

Notwithstanding the conventional wisdom, injured workers of any age have an interest in returning to work. Sadly this is often an over-looked part of many programs as employers and interested stakeholders focus on other issues. Now is the time to change this thought process. This is based on the reality that any workers’ compensation program can create a win for everyone by focusing on return-to-work.

Return-To-Work: Creating a Win/Win Mentality

The beauty of an effective return-to-work program is that it reduces the inherent tension within the adversarial workers’ compensation system and creates a win for everyone. While it may take some work, the cost savings are immense.

Creating a Win for Employees

Countless studies demonstrate that an injured work, regardless of age or time spent in the workforce, want to return to work following an injury. When a workers’ compensation program is set up correctly, there is a “win” for the employee.

• Productivity: If an employee is able to return-to-work, they remain productive. This leads to a sense of satisfaction for anyone recovering from even a severe workplace injury.

• Maintaining a Consistent Work Schedule. There are numerous intangibles associated with a consistent work schedule. Instead of sitting at home while they recover, people who are working, even reduced hours, have a more positive attitude.

• Feeling safe allows anyone to be more productive. Safety and security in knowing you have job results in greater financial and emotional security.

Creating a Win for Employers

A well return-to-work program also creates the sense of a win for employers. This allows the stakeholders on this end of the equation to see value in all employees—regardless of ability or restrictions.

• Decreasing Work Comp Exposure. Once and employee demonstrates the ability to return to work, the future exposures in any program dramatically decrease. These savings are found on the indemnity, vocational rehabilitation and medical portions of a claim.

• Effective Cost Containment. In addition to decreasing costs, an effective return-to-work will allow the program to better anticipate future expenses and effectively allocate scarce resources.

  FREE DOWNLOAD: “13 Research Studies to Prove Value of Return-to-Work Program & Gain Stakeholder Buy-In”

• Employee Retention. Any successful employer retains its employees and reduces the loss of institutional memory from leaving when turnover occurs. Keeping employees on the job following an injury also allows employers to spend less time and money identifying new talent and recruiting new employees.

Conclusions

Employers seeking to reduce their workers’ compensation program costs need to make an investment in their return-to-work program. It also has numerous benefits that reduce the tension of the workers’ compensation progress and allows for all involved to win.

Michael Stack, CEO of Amaxx LLC, is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment system and provides education, training, and consulting to help employers reduce their workers’ compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is co-author of the #1 selling comprehensive training guide “Your Ultimate Guide to Mastering Workers’ Comp Costs: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%.” Stack is the creator of Injury Management Results (IMR) software and founder of Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center. WC Mastery Training teaches injury management best practices such as return to work, communication, claims best practices, medical management, and working with vendors. IMR software simplifies the implementation of these best practices for employers and ties results to a Critical Metrics Dashboard.

Contact: [email protected].

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