Spend a few hours in front of the TV on a weekday, and you’ll get an eyeful of what injured workers see every day—ads for lawyers promising large settlements for their injuries. But experts recommend getting employees off the couch and back on the job as soon as possible. Today we’ll look at the benefits of early return to work (RTW), and some strategies for making it happen.
An effective RTW initiative requires:
- Efficient communication among employers, employees, medical professionals, and benefits managers
- Focusing on RTW from the outset of injury
- Established policies and protocols to ensure consistency in the process
- A can-do attitude among all parties involved
- Consistent demonstration of employer concern for the employee
- A blurring of the distinction between at-work injuries and those sustained elsewhere
RTW Works
Whether the effort is led by an employer, a disability service provider, or a workers’ compensation carrier, the common wisdom is that early RTW makes good sense for employees and those who pay them.
California return-to-work programs—webinar coming next week! Learn more.
It benefits everyone when an injured worker can return to work as soon as possible after an injury, within medical restrictions. Workers recover more readily, and employers boost productivity and reduce workers’ comp costs.
The value of early RTW is reflected in a code for disability management adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) of the United Nations in 2001.
According to Boston University professor and disability management expert Norman Hursh, the code “provides a blueprint for action both for the small employer that wants to be proactive in developing workplace disability management programs and the larger company [that] operates in many states and different countries.” The tenets apply to those with temporary and more permanent disabilities.
Among key points contained in the ILO code:
- With the right skills, in the right job, and with support as needed, people with disabilities are capable and reliable employees and an asset to their employers.
- Managing disability in the workplace is in the business interest of employers. It leads to savings in terms of lost time, insurance and healthcare payments, and costs of recruiting and retaining workers.
- Retaining people who acquire a disability while working means the employer keeps experienced workers with valued expertise in whom considerable investment has been made.
- Basing an approach on evidence, best practices, and experience enables workers with disabilities to contribute productively in the workplace.
Need to know more about safe and legal return-to-work programs? Attend our in-depth, California-specific webinar next week. Can’t attend? Preorder the CD. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Go Team!
Always remember that RTW is a team sport. Collaboration and communication among employer, employee, health professional, insurance provider, and disability specialist is the key to success.
As you assess your program for improvement opportunities, think in terms of football, not golf, and you’ll score big in this potentially high-stakes contest.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at one company’s innovative approach to RTW, and we’ll invite you to a special webinar that will show you how you can use your RTW program to boost retention rates, reduce costs, and avoid lawsuits.
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I wonder if there have been any studies on employees’ views of RTW programs–I’m curious if they like or dislike them.