Optimism, resolutions, gym memberships and RTW!

It’s a new year.  Every 365 days (with the exception of leap years) we say goodbye to one year and greet another, typically with exceptional enthusiasm and optimism --- this year will be better than the last, we will do better on our diets, stick to our budgets, or vow to somehow be a better person than we were last year.  The gyms will be packed with highly motivated individuals for the first few months of the year until all the “resolutioners” fall off of the exercise wagon and settle into our old habits.  There goes the optimism, right?

The same thing can happen with your vow to bring injured workers back to modified duty.  When the claim starts out, you are committed to bring the injured worker back.  And then you hit the first bump in the road – you receive a copy of the injured worker’s sedentary restrictions.

This year, you vow to implement a RTW program.  2013 will be the year!  But then, something else comes along that is more urgent and the RTW program gets put aside, for what you tell yourself will only be a week or two.

Are you seeing the pattern here? 

We often start out with the best intentions, and sometimes things get in the way, we hit bumps in the road or we take an unexpected detour.  We fail at our diets, we splurge on an “irresistible post-holiday deal” and we continue to pay for a gym membership which we no longer use.

When we set goals, we aren’t always realistic.  Maybe we give up too soon – failing to see significant, life-altering results in a short amount of time.  Or, maybe it’s because we make a commitment but fail to make it a priority.

In reference to RTW programs – employers need to be realistic, while making RTW a priority.  If you foresee a problem with being able to accommodate restrictions, ask for help from your Eastern claim representative!  You have a team of people dedicated to assisting you with RTW.  If you aren’t sure where to begin, we’ve got resources for that! Guides to walk you through RTW programs, off-the shelf materials to incorporate --- we’ll even put your logo on select materials if you’d like!  From training programs that you can use to educate your employees and management staff, to posters and statistics, we’ve got the resources for you, and we’ll help you through every step of the way. 

Set a realistic goal and make it a priority.  Realize what your obstacles are (i.e., the most challenging restrictions or positions for modified duty) and we’ll help you overcome them.

So, if you haven’t come up with a resolution of your own – take one of ours:  2013 will be the year we, [insert company name here], implement a comprehensive RTW program and use it!  We will make every attempt to bring an injured worker back to modified duty!

Each year we continuously strive to do better than the last year, and for good reason, we should never stop improving.  Just think…in 2014 the goal of a RTW program will be off this list because you will already have a strong program in place. 

Here’s to another great year filled with many RTW successes!