Return-to-Work Process Helps Employees Return to Normalcy Faster

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 | 0

By Jerry LeCompte
Texas Mutual Insurance Co.

Unfortunately, many companies have workplace accidents at some point that may require an employee to be away from work, whether for a few days or a few months. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007, the median number of days away from work for all industries in the United States was seven days. Slower economic conditions may increase the number of days away from work.

This time away from work can have a great impact on both the employer and employee, including a reduction in production, increased labor cost, depression for the employee and an increased strain on workers who are still on the job and covering the injured employee’s duties. Because of this ripple effect, it’s important to have a solid return-to-work process that can minimize the effects on all parties involved.

Injured workers who are off work for more than six months have only a 50% chance of ever returning to full employment. It’s important to remember that even after an employee has an accident, they are still your employee. It is in the best interest of both the employer and employee to have a suitable return-to-work process in place.

An effective return-to-work process lays out the steps that must be taken to return an employee to his or her pre-injury position. The injured employee, the employee’s supervisor and the worker’s health care provider should work together in order to create an appropriate process. During this process, communication among all parties involved is vital.

A return-to-work process includes three key parts: assessing job tasks, identifying modified duties and making a bona fide offer of employment.

• Assessing job tasks. Write down the separate activities or tasks involved in each job at your company. Include the physical demands—such as lifting, typing or standing—and the environmental conditions—such as vibration, noise or heat—in your descriptions.
• Identifying modified duties. Use your task list to match the available work to the injured employee’s work restrictions, as sanctioned by his or her treating doctor. Always tell the employee’s doctor about the modified duties to make sure they meet the doctor’s restrictions.
• Making a bona fide offer of employment. If you can offer an injured employee modified duties that meet his or her doctor’s restrictions, put the offer in writing. To be considered bona fide, your offer must meet the requirements in Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation Rule 129.6. Ask your adjuster for help with your bona fide offer letter, and tell him or her whether the injured employee accepts the offer. If an injured employee refuses a bona fide offer of employment, the employee may lose his or her temporary income benefits.
• Employers should work with their insurance carriers before an accident occurs to implement a return-to-work process and have in place the necessary tools needed to control and reduce the cost associated with a lost time injury.

• Lower your claim costs. Inexpensive return-to-work accommodations can reduce workers’ compensation and other insurance costs. The Job Accommodation Network reports that 70% of accommodations cost less than $500, and 20% cost nothing at all.
• Control your premium by improving your loss history. A company that meets or exceeds a certain size threshold qualifies for an experience modifier (EMOD)—where the loss data, along with other factors, are compared to that of other employers who share the same classification codes—and an adjustment factor can be calculated to increase or decrease premium.
• Retain experienced workers. The cost of replacing an injured employee can be 50% to 150% of the employee’s salary. If the injured employee was in a managerial or sales position, the cost to replace them could be even greater.
• Reduce the costs of making up for lost production, such as hiring extra help or paying overtime. This process will also help reduce added stress on other employees who may have had to increase their duties to make up for the absence of the injured employee.
  

• Steer clear of the stress and depression that often come with being unable to work. For many employees, their sense of identity and self-worth are strongly tied to their jobs. Being unable to work, and often in pain, can cause depression. Injured employees who stay at work are also able to receive support and encouragement from co-workers.
• Retain their job skills, company benefits and seniority. When an employee is able to retain job skills, it can help them return to work faster without a lot of retraining. It will also help the employee continue to feel like a part of the team.
• Maintain their pre-injury income. Remember, workers’ compensation benefits pay only a portion of the injured employee’s salary. Occasionally, employers assume it is the insurance carrier’s sole responsibly to bring the employee back to work in a timely manner. Returning employees to work should be a partnership among the insurance carrier, employee, employer and physician.
• Avoid the disability mindset: “I’m injured, and I cannot work.” Even though an employee may be injured, they can often do alternative, productive work while recovering. By planning a series of increased workload transitions, the injured employee will slowly transition back to full job capacity.
• Employee education is always an important factor for a smooth-running workplace, and return-to-work is no exception. Ensure that your employees know there is a process in place to help rehabilitate them back into the workplace in the event of an accident. It is also imperative to re-evaluate your process yearly to make necessary adjustments that reflect your current work environment. The return-to-work process is a continuous work in progress, but one that you and your employees will be grateful to have.