Return to Work Programs for Injured Workers Benefit Employees and Employers

When an employee is injured on the job everyone’s first concern is getting immediate medical treatment. A close second is ensuring the best recovery. How much influence do employers have over the recovery and the associated costs? More than you think.

Following are a few examples of the cost savings of a return to work program for an employer:

When a worker is injured and goes into the workers’ compensation system they receive two-thirds of their pay from the insurance company for temporary disability. When an employer uses an "Early Return to Work Program" the injured worker receives 100% of their pay from the employer. How does this benefit the employer ? If the insurer pays two thirds of their pay, this cost will go through the employer’s experience modification calculation and ultimately cost the employer 2-3 times his pay. Remember all claim costs remain in the experience modification calculation for 3 years.

Early return to work programs have proven to help eliminate fraudulent claims. Fraudulent claims typically come as a result of an employee wanting time off work. An early return to work program eliminates this. When a fraudulent claimant knows they still must get up early and go to work each day they tend to "recover" quicker.

If an employer has an early return to work program approved by the doctor and the employee refuses to participate they lose their temporary disability pay.

In addition, return to work programs provide other benefits to both employees and employers.

Benefits for Employees

Contact with coworkers maintains morale and helps avoid depression. The mental strain of being off work is a significant contributor to delayed recovery.

It answers concerns about the possible loss of the job.
It speeds the recovery process. The mental aspect of being at work is helpful as opposed to sitting home with worry and frustration.
The employee receives their regular pay.
The employee maintains a productive mindset.
The employee stays on a regular work schedule.
The employee has a sense of security and stability.

Benefits for Employers

Reduces financial impact of workplace injuries
Improves morale
Injured workers recover faster when they are at work. Recruiting and hiring costs are less
Return to work programs have proven to reduce the number of litigated claims
Gives the employer the opportunity to monitor the recovery process first hand
The employer might discover a bright, passionate employee that can eventually be promoted

With all of these benefits, it’s easy to see the value of a return to work program. But what if you don’t have a role that can accommodate the employee’s physical restrictions ? You can let them work for someone else, such as a local charity. You get a tax deduction for the value of their labor, the employee gets to work and you help your community.

What light duty tasks can a worker perform while recovering from an injury ?

Inspect trucks
Take easy tasks from several other workers to make one light duty position, freeing the other workers to be more productive
Ask them to re-engineer a primary position to make it more productive, a better way to do things.
Clean tools
Sort mail
Check driver logs
Check paperwork for drivers entering and exiting the premises
Watch safety videos and create safety quiz questions
Answer phones
Clean out old files and organize new ones
Be creative. Have you ever been greeted at the entrance to a major retail store? The greeter position came from an early return to work program.

There is no question a return to work program for injured workers will save you money, even if they are used in an unproductive position. If you can find something productive for them to do, better yet for everyone. Just make sure the doctor provides light duty guidelines for you to use in each case.

For more information about controlling workers’ compensation costs contact Dan Centoni at Andreini & Company, (800) 969-2522 or dcentoni@andreini.com.

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