business backgrounder | economy
The goal of CompWise is to prevent injuries through a safer workplace , and to actively help employees who are injured to heal and get back to work appropriately and safely . They return to making a full wage , and they are fully engaged with life .
“ Long-term , financially and psychologically , it ’ s better for employees to get back to work ,” Brown said .
‘ they went right to work ’
Hewes Marine , an aluminum boat manufacturer in Colville , noticed an immediate improvement after signing up with CompWise , according to Chuck Valli , safety coordinator at Hewes .
“ They ’ ve really been outstanding . They ’ re very easy to get ahold of . They call me right back ,” Valli said . “ They took on some cases that were left over from a different retro company , and boy , they went right to work on them and have at least some of them solved .”
He said that Hewes tried handling its workers ’ comp claims by themselves , but that didn ’ t work out . There was too much to it , Valli said , especially on top of ensuring your company ’ s safety programs and production . CompWise has smoothly taken over workers ’ comp , freeing up Hewes staff to do what they do best — safely crafting high-quality welded aluminum fishing boats .
What would he tell other employers who haven ’ t experienced CompWise personally ?
“ If they are having any struggles at all with any of their L & I insurance claims , old or new , these guys are top of the game ,” Vallis said . “ They know their stuff ... They helped us get back on track and stuff . They ’ ve been amazing .”
AWB ’ s CompWise program offers help for employers on a comprehensive range of workers ’ compensation needs . To learn more , contact Maria McClain at Mariam @ forterra-inc . com , or visit www . compwise . org for more information .
“ Our goal is to help solve employer problems and be their advocate . We ’ re pretty much a one-stop-shop for workers ’ comp and help employers providing services such as safety , return-to-work , effective claims management and more . Plus , employers can earn refunds on their premiums and lower the upfront payments they make to L & I .”
— Debra Brown , president , Forterra , AWB ’ s member services subsidiary winter 2022 41