Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance Magazine Spring 2019 | Page 29

LIGHT-DUTY WORK
REDUCE PREMIUMS AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY:
THE BENEFIT OF LIGHT-DUTY WORK
T
ransitional duty is the
cornerstone of any successful
risk management program. By
returning injured employees
back to work through
transitional duty tasks and continually
transitioning them to an increased work
capacity, companies can control their
medical costs and, more importantly, keep
indemnity expenses as low as possible.
Many organizations that are unable to
accommodate transitional or light-duty
work are not aware that there are several
organizations that partner with employers
to provide these services.
The theory behind return-to-work
programs is twofold. The first is the
emotional aspect, which is that by keeping
the employee engaged, they will recover
quicker and therefore return to full duty
faster. It is also believed that they are less
likely to seek legal counsel.
The second aspect is to keep indemnity
payments out of the company’s experience
modification calculation. Indemnity
payments are weighted much heavier than
medical payments in the experience mod
calculation and therefore have a more
devastating impact. Since the indemnity
payments will remain in the calculation for
three years, the employer winds up paying
the premium for a single claim for the next
three years.
To help keep employers’ costs down, there
several organizations that have programs
which place injured workers at local
nonprofits. Employees who participate
in these programs work a variety of
light-duty assignments that are within
their medical restrictions. Participants
perform administrative tasks or other
nonstrenuous activities, such as greet
guests, sort donations and prepare meals.
On occasion, participants actually help the
nonprofit complete projects that it would
not complete otherwise due to a lack of
resources.
According to the ReemployAbility Program,
participants provide much-needed
assistance to help these organizations
achieve their valuable service initiatives. In
2017 alone, participants in the program
working at nonprofits had an estimated
economic impact valued at over $47 million
at a variety of philanthropic organizations
around the country.
Bringing injured employees back to work at
modified light-duty jobs shows employees
that your company cares for their health
and well-being. It decreases the likelihood
of fraud, helps control premium costs and
has a positive influence on the lives of
injured workers while giving back to the
community.
BY: MEAGHAN TYNDALE-WILLIAMS, CLCS
VICE PRESIDENT, JGS INSURANCE
Meaghan Tyndale-Williams began her
insurance career with Liberty Mutual in
Commercial Lines as a Direct Sales Property
& Casualty Producer. She won numerous
sales contests and awards while at Liberty
Mutual including 2008 Producer of the Year,
Millionaires Club and Liberty Top Producer
Club. In 2014, after having her first of two
children, she transitioned to JGS Insurance
to be closer to home and began her current
position as Vice President.
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