WCRI Notes and Takeaways: Top Employers Are Rethinking Workers’ Comp

At the recent WCRI conference, I listened to the afternoon employer panel, which covered a lot of ground. The discussion repeatedly returned to one reality that feels more urgent than ever in workers’ comp: thinking about claims in a vacuum is not enough.

The panel brought together leaders responsible for large and complex workers’ compensation programs across multiple industries. Speakers included representatives from Aramark, Marriott International, Publix Supermarkets, and Disney, each overseeing workforces spanning multiple states, operational environments, and, in some cases, the globe.

What made the session especially valuable was the range of employer perspectives represented. Some organizations operate primarily in major metro markets. Others support employees across rural locations, hospitality properties, airline hubs, retail stores, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers. Despite those differences, the same themes surfaced again and again.

Access to care is changing. Workforce demographics are changing. And employers are being pushed to think far more broadly about what actually drives recovery, return-to-work, and claim outcomes.

My biggest takeaway from the session was this: employers getting the best results are no longer viewing workers’ comp as a narrow claims function. They are looking at it as a workforce stability issue, a communication issue, and, increasingly, a whole-person issue.

Access to Care Is Not Just a Rural Problem

One of the most interesting takeaways from the panel was that access to care is not showing up exactly where many people expect.

We often associate access problems with rural areas, and in some cases, that is still true. But several panelists pointed out that some of their biggest challenges are now appearing in urban markets.

Nicole Patterson of Aramark explained that while her organization operates in rural areas, access issues often appear in cities because urgent care centers are not always occupationally focused, and wait times can be long.

“We have very early morning starts, sometimes four or five a.m., and second and third shifts,” Patterson said. “So how do we align care with our operations?”

That distinction matters. For employers operating around the clock, access to care is not just about provider availability. It is about whether those providers align with how the workforce actually operates. A clinic that is open nine to five may not help employees who start work before sunrise or work overnight shifts.

Employers are increasingly designing their care strategies around real operational needs rather than assuming traditional provider access will solve the problem.

The Best Employers Are Reducing Friction at Every Step

Another theme that surfaced repeatedly during the panel was the idea of reducing friction in the claims process. Patterson described this challenge directly when discussing injury reporting and access to care.

“We work on reducing friction in reporting claims,” she explained. “We have three different ways of reporting claims because we have to put the resources as close to the action as possible.”

This idea of friction extends beyond reporting. How does an employee report the injury? How easily can they access the right care? Do they know where to go? Can they report the claim from the environment they are working in?

The panelists emphasized that delays and frustration in workers’ comp often begin with these small operational barriers rather than major medical issues.

Leading employers are addressing this by creating multiple reporting channels, placing reporting tools directly in operational environments, and being extremely intentional about which providers they partner with.

Provider quality is not just about clinical skill. In workers’ comp, it also includes responsiveness, consistency, and willingness to work collaboratively within the claim process.

Telemedicine Has Moved From Backup Option to Core Strategy

Several panelists also discussed how telemedicine has become an important strategy for improving access to care.

Justin Romine of Marriott International described how telehealth has helped address care challenges in certain locations where traditional access is difficult.

“We leaned pretty heavily into telehealth,” Romine said, noting that it helped employees receive care without needing to travel long distances in places such as Hawaii and resort communities.

Technology is also expanding into other areas of recovery. Romine mentioned growing interest in remote therapeutic monitoring tools that allow providers to track recovery and physical therapy progress even when employees are not physically present in the clinic. These tools are giving employers more ways to support recovery when local access to care is inconsistent or limited.

Aging Workforces Are Forcing a Bigger Conversation

Another major topic during the session was the aging workforce and its impact on workers’ compensation programs. Employers in industries such as hospitality, aviation, retail, and manufacturing often have long-tenured employees performing physically demanding work. Over time, repetitive tasks and physical strain can compound with age-related conditions.

Romine pointed out that even a single housekeeping shift can involve thousands of repetitive movements.

“In the course of a single shift, a housekeeper can perform thousands of body mechanics, bending, twisting, and lifting,” he explained.

When those repetitive movements occur over decades, they can combine with other health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and degenerative joint issues. This makes claims more complex and highlights the growing role that comorbidities play in recovery and claim duration. Several panelists discussed the importance of connecting workers’ compensation insights with broader health data in order to better understand what is truly driving injuries and recovery outcomes. That type of integration could allow employers to identify patterns earlier and intervene before issues escalate into larger claims.

The Whole-Person Model Is Becoming Harder to Ignore

Throughout the discussion, the panel repeatedly emphasized that workers’ comp cannot be viewed in isolation from an employee’s overall health and experience.

Nicole Patterson summarized this perspective clearly.

“You have to listen,” she said. “You have to get to know your workforce.”

Too often, organizations focus narrowly on the specific body part involved in the claim rather than understanding the broader situation affecting the employee. But when employers take the time to understand the full context of the employee’s health, job demands, and personal circumstances, better outcomes often follow. This shift toward whole person thinking is influencing how employers structure their programs, including greater use of in-house nurses, stronger provider relationships, and earlier engagement with injured workers.

Culture Still Drives Claim Outcomes

Despite the discussion of technology, networks, and analytics, the panel ultimately returned to something much more fundamental: culture.

Sharon DelGuercio of Publix emphasized the importance of building trust with injured employees and designing programs around their needs.

“At Publix, our focus is on doing right by our associates,” she said. “When we put our associates at the center of the program, we see better claim outcomes.”

This culture of care shows up in many ways. It appears in how supervisors respond to injuries, whether communication is clear and consistent, and whether transitional duty is treated as a normal part of recovery. Employees who feel supported are far more likely to stay engaged in the recovery process and return to work successfully.

What Matters Going Forward

Leaving this session, it became clear that many of the biggest challenges in workers’ comp today are not simply claims management issues.

They are operational challenges. How do employers get the right care to the right employee at the right time? How do they support a workforce that is aging and increasingly complex from a health perspective? How do they reduce friction while maintaining control of the process?

The employers on this panel did not claim to have all the answers. But they made one thing clear: organizations that continue treating workers’ comp as a siloed back-end function are going to struggle.

The future belongs to employers who connect the dots between claims management, workforce health, communication, and operational realities. After hearing this panel discussion, it is clear that the industry is beginning to move in that direction.

Michael Stack, CEO of Amaxx LLC, is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems 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 teaching 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

Workers’ Comp Roundup Blog: https://blog.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/

Injury Management Results (IMR) Software: https://imrsoftware.com/

©2025 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.