Six Steps to Drive Down Workers’ Compensation Claims and Costs

You can’t afford to leave your workers’ compensation costs to chance. Left unchecked, workers’ compensation can become one of your largest expenses, and cripple your company. But how you address workers’ compensation in your organization can make a big difference in the severity and frequency of claims. Follow these best practices to create a culture of safety that can help protect you and your employees and drive down your workers’ compensation claims.

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1. Screen employees before you hire.

Take extra steps to make sure that you hire only employees qualified for the demands of a given job. A healthy and fit employee is less likely to be injured on the job, and will recover more quickly if injured. Have a third party perform physicals and functional capacity evaluations to assess the ability of each prospective employee to meet the physical requirements of the job for which they are applying.

2. Maintain the physical workplace.

Make sure worksites are well maintained and regularly evaluated for hazards. Perform preventive maintenance where applicable.

3. Provide the necessary tools for the job.

Sometimes it’s the nature of the work itself that poses the greatest risk. Assess the required work, establish appropriate on-the-job rules, train employees to peform their tasks safely, and provide all necessary tools and protective equipment.

4. Institute a twice-daily check-in.

For physically demanding jobs that carry a higher risk of injury, such as construction, institute meetings that require everyone to check in with a supervisor at the beginning and the end of the day. The morning meeting might include five minutes of stretching or warm-ups, while the evening meeting could require everyone to sign a statement that says “I left the job healthy today,” to help preclude an injury claim the following day.

5. Establish a return-to-work program.

Return-to-work programs are known to curb long-term workers’ compensation costs by bringing employees back to the office/project more quickly. They can include part-time work, telecommuting, and modified work duties and schedules. These programs can improve productivity and morale across an organization, saving time and money while helping you keep your best employees.

6. Promote the physical and emotional health of employees.

Without the right balance of physical and emotional health, stress and anxiety can surface — and with them, an increase in injuries and illnesses. Make sure your supervisors aren’t emphasizing production goals at the expense of safety. When possible, use performance management strategies that engage workers in shared decision-making. Consider a corporate health and performance program that promotes and rewards healthy lifestyle choices.

Let’s work together to create a culture of safety to help reduce your workers’ compensation claims.

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