RETURN-TO-WORK PROGRAMS
The Unseen Benefits Of
Return-To-Work
Programs
N
early every business owner has,
at one point or another, had an
employee who either became
sick, injured, or had some sort
of personal crisis which took
them out of the workplace. During that
time, you are short a person, the workload
is heavier on everyone else, and you end up
paying workers’ compensation costs for the
time they are out. Productivity goes down,
the company loses money, morale inevitably
goes down. Often, business owners simply
accept this. There is, however, another way.
Establishing a formal return-to-work
program may be one of the best things you
can do for your company, and here are
many of the reasons why:
• Experienced employees will be able
to get back to work, resulting in less
time and money spent on hiring and
recruitment
• It provides a means through which
you can keep regular contact with
employees who are out due to injury
(and getting paid) for an extended period.
Getting them back fast not only helps to
boost morale but it also shows consistency
with procedure, improves the self-worth of
the injured employee, and helps to establish
communication and organization amongst
the other employees. •
Create a communication and
education plan
•
Keep records so that you can measure
the success of the program
•
Distribute the plan and make it easily
accessible to all employees
Return-to-work programs don’t have to be
very complicated, but they should be well
designed and thought out. A haphazard
program of any type is not good for
business, and this is no different. There
are some steps you can take to ensure
everything is included within your plan: DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE A
RETURN-TO-WORK PROGRAM IN
PLACE?
If not, have you thought about creating one?
Sterling Insurance Group is here to help
you get started today. Just give me a call at
586-685-0134 or email me at smcinerney@
sterlingagency.com. Helping employees get
back to work not only helps you, it helps the
entire company, including the employees
who are out.
• Gather initial information on other
return-to-work programs to measure
potential savings
• Ask coworkers about their thoughts on
injuries and return-to-work practices
• Demonstrate a commitment to early
return-to-work
• Create actionable and clear goals for
the program
• A significant reduction in the financial
impact of workplace injuries • • Helps anticipate and control hidden
costs Create a return-to-work team and
define its responsibilities
• • Improves your ability to manage injury
claims and restrictions that may come
along with them Develop a workflow chart outlining the
return-to-work process
• • Provides a proactive means of cost
containment
One of the largest benefits, however, may be
the psychological effects. Having someone
out with an injury could potentially lead
to abuse of the program if they are out
30
Develop and maintain a job bank with
transitional roles
BY: SCOTT MCINERNEY
STERLING INSURANCE
GROUP
Scott McInerney has been in the insurance industry for more than 15 years. His primary focus is on
providing Risk Management strategies to clients within the manufacturing, construction, human
services and marina sectors. Scott is a Certified Risk Architect as well as a Certified Authority
on Workers Compensation. Scott loves working with clients to improve their Risk Profiles while
providing the proper coverage to protect all aspects of their business.
Contact him at [email protected] or (586) 685-0134.