A large staffing firm has watched workers’ compensation claims plummet in lock-step with the stock market. Has your claim frequency decreased? Maybe the decrease in claims has occurred because production has slowed. Or, maybe folks with minor strains are afraid to rock the boat by filing a claim. This particular staffing firm has seen a [...]

I recently read Tribes, by Seth Godin and I found many of his insights relevant to workplace wellness. Here’s how I see the company tribe impacted by an injury. Humans have a desire to belong. We crave membership in a group and we’ll go out of our way to find it. Groups easily come together [...]

Workers’ compensation insurance is a little complex, at times. Finding ways to save on workers’ compensation costs requires innovation on the prevention side, and a little savvy on the financial side. A key factor for determining the amount of premium you will pay is the Experience Modifier (E-Mod). This is the multiplier applied to your [...]

The current economic turmoil brings challenges to businesses, beyond decreased sales and restrictive credit requirements. While businesses are struggling to secure credit lines and doggedly watching their accounts receivable, individuals are fighting to make ends meet as well. With companies downsizing and making adjustments, for what may be a long recovery, many people are finding [...]

Health care providers come in all stripes and the quality of care can vary greatly. Relying solely on your insurance carrier or TPA (third-party administrator) network can be costly. These networks are built by finding providers who will agree to a discounted reimbursement rate, in exchange for more referrals. Some of these providers see very [...]

Are Oprah or Jerry Springer offering addictive content in their television shows? Is this one of the reasons lost-time workers’ compensation claims can get out of control? OK, maybe it’s not Oprah’s fault. There are complex psycho-social factors at work when an individual is off work, nursing an injury, with a reduced income. Managing these [...]

Too many employers believe that workers’ compensation is insurance. Premium rates, experience modifiers, claim reserves…this is not workers’ compensation. This is just a way to finance it. Workers’ compensation was designed to ensure that injured employees have access to medical care and salary indemnification for work-related injuries. This system was established at a time when [...]

The quality of an organization’s safety programs forecasts an employees’ likelihood of entering the workers’ compensation system. The time and resources invested in enforcing safe work practices reflect the employer’s commitment, not only to guarding an employee from workplace hazards, but to protecting them from the hazards of our workers’ compensation system. Carefully-crafted programs embed [...]

The workers’ compensation system is filled with complex relationships and competing agendas. It can be confusing or even exasperating for an employee who must navigate this system alone. Employees need an advocate they can rely on while in the workers’ compensation system. The employer must be that advocate. By investing in prevention and early return-to-work [...]

Successfully managing the return-to-work process requires employers to plug a gap in their knowledge. During our management careers, many of us have examined the supply chain, manufacturing process and distribution process. We think we know our business and the work that happens there. We often don’t. We don’t know what is required of the employees [...]