Clay et. al, (2010) also found that "Ninety-three percent of respondents who reported the need to use work "to fill the day" were back at work by three months, compared to 66% who indicated other reasons" (p. 7).
The psycho-social factors and environment are equally important as the physical injury in the return to work process. While we cannot influence the injury we can influence the socialization of injured workers.
What amount of effort does it take on behalf of an employer or coworker to make a phone call to chat with the injured worker, keep them apprised of any developments at their workplace, or even to send a "get-well" card? Very little. The ROI on a 99 cent get well card is potentially tremendous.
So when an employer feels as if they don't have control over the WC claim, and that all power rests in the hands of the injured employee and their treating physicians, remember this post, and it might be a good idea to reference this post as well, oh and this one is probably useful, too.
When we discuss the concept of Return to Wellness as opposed to return to work, we’re focusing on all aspects of a workers’ compensation claim. Not just the financial impact, but how we need to treat the injured worker as a person who has sustained an occupational injury and not as a claimant. Returning injured workers to wellness using a bio-psycho-social approach -- treating the injury, treating the individual and acknowledging the positive impact that returning to the workplace (environment) after an injury can have on recovery.
Source: Clay, F. J., Newstead, S. V., Watson, W. L., Ozanne-Smith, J. & McClure, R. J. Bio-Psychosocial determinants of time lost from work following non life threatening acute orthopaedic trauma, Bio Med Central Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010, 11:6. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/11/6
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Injured at Work