One more reason to offer RTW: Stop giving injured workers a bad rap

So much for the 80/20 rule.

According to a study conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Summit Pharmacy, Inc., 2 out of 5 Americans believe that people who are collecting workers' compensation benefit don't want to work.  Not surprisingly, roughly 35% of respondents agreed that "You need a PhD to complete all the necessary paperwork associated with a workers' compensation claim."  That last question was a bit leading, and a tad dramatic for my liking, but I digress.

You can read more about the survey here.

While the survey may not be free of bias, I think there are some opportunities for further discussion.  The survey fails to consider whether or not the employer offered modified work to the injured worker.  If someone is offered suitable work and refuses it, that's a different story.  If the employer has done nothing to offer an injured worker modified duty, or if the injured worker remains totally disabled, then they are likely justified in remaining out of work.  I understand I'm arguing against a stereotype, but the stigma and stereotypes cannot be ignored.

In previous posts, I've written about injured workers who start to feel that they have to prove how disabled they are to justify their injury to people.  In an environment where a good portion of the American population thinks injured workers are just lazy, I can't imagine that makes anyone feel too good about being out of work.  It may even lead to them citing limitations and disabilities to demonstrate that they're not "faking" their injury. 

Conversely, when an injured worker is in a supported environment where they can trust that people surrounding them (including their employer and coworkers) believe their injury occurred and the subsequent pain is real, I'd venture to guess that they'd be less likely to point to their inabilities as they have nothing to "prove."

One thing we can do to fight this stigma (aside from preventing injuries from happening in the first place), is to offer modified duty to injured workers.  If they unjustifiably refuse the work, i.e., they really don't "want to work," then their benefits may be suspended and everyone can loosely conclude that they really don't want to work.  I'd like to see a survey that focuses on that.

We can also do a better job of helping injured workers fill out claim paperwork.  It may not require a PhD, but it is filled with jargon and legalese that those outside the WC industry have a difficult time understanding. A word of advice -- if you know the form you're about to mail out causes outrage or panic in injured workers -- give them a head's up that it's coming and what it means.  The wording on the forms typically makes it sound worse than it really is.