Cut Workers’ Comp costs and maintain productivity with your Return To Work program
An injury at work can cause disruption, and cost time and money for both the employer and the injured employee. Employers can help employees stay productive and prevent needless disability with a policy called Return To Work. Your RTW policy may be casual, but we recommend a more structured written program that defines the roles and responsibilities of all key participants – the supervisor, the employee, and the doctor.
The window of opportunity for job accommodation is during the first few days and weeks post injury. There is a sense of urgency during this time to communicate with the employee and the doctor and to show care and concern for the injured worker. Providing work duties that modify the current job, or creating an alternative position or tasks during the employee’s recovery can impact the following areas.
Compliance: ADA and FEHA are Federal and State programs that require employers to consider job accommodation for employees with a disability.
Reduce Costs and X-Mod: Avoiding days away from work reduces the claim cost of Temporary Disability. Ultimately, reduced costs equates to a lower X-Mod impact.
Maintain Productivity: Identify light Temporary Alternative Duty (TAD’s) tasks that are productive and allow the employee to heal and return to full duty. Click HERE to download a sample TAD's form.
Reduce Claim Litigation: Fear of losing their job can drive an employee to an attorney and increase the overall claim costs. Keeping an employee at work allows you to address any questions or concerns as they arise.
Successful RTW Guidelines:
Company executives actively support and embrace the RTW policy.
Written documents reviewed by all employees state the mission and policy of the company’s RTW program.
A qualified internal person manages, facilitates, and documents the RTW process.
Managers and supervisors are trained to keep employees active and at work within their work limitations.
Factors to consider post injury:
Each employee has individual coping skills, personal life and work ethic that must be considered in the negotiations of job modification.
Frequently, work disability is NOT required from a strictly medical point of view, but is determined by whether or not the employer can accommodate the doctor’s work restrictions.
Ongoing open communication with the injured employee, doctor and supervisor is critical.
If a doctor’s report states “off work”, contact your employee, the claims adjuster and the doctor to obtain actual work abilities or work restrictions so that you can consider job accommodation.
If you are unable to provide light or modified duty, ask your adjuster or your ESM claims advocate about off site, non-profit light duty work programs that can assist you with keeping the employee active and working at a business location as they recover.
For questions, please contact your ESM Claims Advocate for assistance.