1. Review job descriptions of other positions.
If you don't have job descriptions (tisk! tisk!) then think about the less physically demanding elements of each position within your company. Make a list of these tasks. Ask other managers or supervisors if they have any "extra" work that needs to be done. Most people have a name for this type of list...we'll call it the never-ending, ever-expanding to-do list. Sure, re-organizing the toolboxes on the trucks would help, but who has the time? Answer: Your injured employee! Yes, having well-stocked first aid kits in every vehicle would be a nicety, but who has the time? Answer: Your injured employee! Bonus tip: Keep this list in the same place you keep your WC insurance information -- there's no need to reinvent the wheel the next time you experience a lost time claim.
2. Ask the injured worker
It is astonishing how many employers don't involve the injured worker in the RTW conversation. I bet there are at least 10 things that you do, weekly, if not daily, that fall into the "other duties as assigned" category of your job description. Most likely, your boss doesn't even realize they're being done, but would sure notice if they weren't. The point is, the injured worker knows their job better than anyone else and if asked, they could probably identify at least a handful of things they could do. Offer a bit of cross-training and voila! That brings us to our next tip...
3. Offer a few hours of cross-training
The payoff for this tip can be extensive. There's nothing more frustrating than having one of your team members taken out of work when you need them. Consider any type of cross-training opportunities. Could they learn to answer the phones? Make follow up customer satisfaction calls? Could the injured worker learn to write estimates or coordinate deliveries? Even if it takes 10 hours to train someone, it could yield weeks of valuable, meaningful, productive modified duty. This could also free up some of your other team members to get to more pressing issues.
4. Add value to your organization with RTW
What if you could use a challenging situation (such as a WC claim) to increase sales or customer satisfaction? An example of this involves an appliance retailer. The injured worker couldn't deliver appliances, but knew how to operate them. Today's appliances involve many technological advances, buttons, self-cleaning, filters, etc. I, up until a few months ago, didn't know my microwave had a "potato" button. Apparently my mother-in-law didn't either. I was so excited to discover this feature, but wished that someone had shown me sooner! So, why not have the injured worker do a new customer orientation, demonstrating all of the functions of the appliance, best practices for maintaining and cleaning that tricky flat top stove... You get my point. I'm pretty sure the big box stores aren't doing something like that...
5. Use a work injury as an opportunity to improve safety
Consider having an injured worker review safety materials, watch safety videos for your industry, or even conduct a "tool box talk" that will help prevent future injuries. When the message is coming from an injured worker, it carries greater weight. This shouldn't be punitive, but it should be viewed as an opportunity to increase safety culture, to learn from a negative event, and to accommodate restrictions.
Showing posts with label make work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make work. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
The Dollars and Sense of RTW Programs
According to one study on worker absenteeism, the costs of a worker who is out of work for 2 weeks costs their employer 133% of his/her wages. So, if an employee earns $500 per week, it will cost the employer $665 per week, or an extra $330 over a two week period.
Various studies have been conducted on the cost-benefit and ROI of RTW programs. In an article from the American Society of Safety Engineers, RTW programs can return $8 to $10 dollars for every $1 invested in a RTW program.
In the same article, the authors cite another study which found that the direct costs associated with a WC claim (wage benefit payments, medical payments, and legal expenses) make up only 28% of the costs associated with WC claims. The other 72% is comprised of indirect costs such as lost productivity, training, replacement worker costs, and other costs not covered by insurance.
Various studies have been conducted on the cost-benefit and ROI of RTW programs. In an article from the American Society of Safety Engineers, RTW programs can return $8 to $10 dollars for every $1 invested in a RTW program.
In the same article, the authors cite another study which found that the direct costs associated with a WC claim (wage benefit payments, medical payments, and legal expenses) make up only 28% of the costs associated with WC claims. The other 72% is comprised of indirect costs such as lost productivity, training, replacement worker costs, and other costs not covered by insurance.
A RTW program doesn’t have to cost you big bucks. Many things can be done by making small changes. When creating or identifying modified duty job opportunities, employers should look at the job tasks that other employees already perform. This will help to ensure that the modified duty work is productive and serves a legitimate purpose, thereby helping reduce any costs associated with RTW.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Why 'make work' doesn't make sense
Some jurisdictions prohibit it. Others allow it. Employees despise it. We're talking about make-work. Also known as "busy work." Sometimes overzealous employers proudly state, "I'll make him count paperclips for 8 hours a day if I have to!" The good news is, with ecovery, you don't have to.
If you are one of those employers, or a person who has personally suggested this as an option for modified duty, please ask yourself what benefit is being gained from this?
An employer is paying an injured worker wages to do a non-productive task
Why not try to develop some type of work that provides some productivity in exchange for the wages they are receiving? How is this helping you reduce costs or make a case to highlight the benefits of modified duty to your employees?
It sours the employer-employee relationship
How would you feel if you were legitimately injured and were brought in to do such menial, tedious, tasks? I'm not so sure I would be motivated to get better -- some may be motivated to be taken out of work altogether. Employers may think that if the work is undesirable, it will motivate someone to return faster. The message really being communicated is that the employer questions the legitimacy of the injury or the restrictions and thinks they can motivate the injured worker to "miraculously recover faster." This can lead to an injured worker returning sooner than medically advisable and result in a re-injury. Modified duty does not mean "light duty." It is a modification of an injured worker's pre-injury job, or a group of productive tasks that are grouped to create a modified duty position temporarily.
If you are one of those employers, or a person who has personally suggested this as an option for modified duty, please ask yourself what benefit is being gained from this?
An employer is paying an injured worker wages to do a non-productive task
Why not try to develop some type of work that provides some productivity in exchange for the wages they are receiving? How is this helping you reduce costs or make a case to highlight the benefits of modified duty to your employees?
It sours the employer-employee relationship
How would you feel if you were legitimately injured and were brought in to do such menial, tedious, tasks? I'm not so sure I would be motivated to get better -- some may be motivated to be taken out of work altogether. Employers may think that if the work is undesirable, it will motivate someone to return faster. The message really being communicated is that the employer questions the legitimacy of the injury or the restrictions and thinks they can motivate the injured worker to "miraculously recover faster." This can lead to an injured worker returning sooner than medically advisable and result in a re-injury. Modified duty does not mean "light duty." It is a modification of an injured worker's pre-injury job, or a group of productive tasks that are grouped to create a modified duty position temporarily.
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