Why are so many lost time days occurring when they aren't medically neccessary?

The adage "every little bit helps" is extremely relevant in today's economy.  It reminds me of one particular bank who marketed the savings concept of "rounding up" your debit card purchase to the next dollar.  Those cents would be deposited directly into your savings account.  Think about how many times you swipe your debit card and enter your PIN, and then consider how quickly those small deposits add up.  It's the same idea as putting your pocket change into a piggy bank.  Here's another example – do you remember the movie Office Space?  The plot surrounds a group of disgruntled workers who devise a plan to embezzle money from their employer by installing an accounting software virus to divert fractions of pennies (repeatedly, over time) into a bank account.

Think about potential savings in terms of hours and days lost due to medically unnecessary disability.  Every little bit helps. 

When you consider most lost time cases, the IW is typically out of work until they can be evaluated by a doctor.  Not a big deal, as this usually happens on the same day.  But, what if the occupational health clinic states the IW is totally disabled until the IW can be seen by a specialist? 

This can be another week or so.  Once the IW is finally evaluated by the specialist, they are deemed capable of working modified duty.  Meanwhile, the IW has been out of work, unnecessarily, for two weeks.  This doesn't include the time it takes for an employer without a RTW program to determine if they have work within the restrictions.

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published this paper in 2006 to provide guidelines for Employers to prevent "needless work disability" by providing RTW (return-to-work) and SAW (stay-at-work) opportunities for injured or disabled employees.  The paper focuses on the RTW process and where the pitfalls exist that result in needless disability.

Having a RTW program, being informed, asking the right questions, and acting with a sense of urgency can help address some of the primary reasons for unnecessary lost time days.  You are encouraged to take the time to read the recommendations by the ACOEM.