Annually 1.2 million employees loose work days due to workplace injury or illness. Unfortunately once an employee is injured, too many employers feel that person has become a liability. Often the company does not offer light duty, or only for a very short time. When that happens the employee is forced onto workers compensation. Often times the employee is also laid off.
Statistics have shown that 40% of the employees who are off work for over 12 weeks (FMLA time) have serious trouble finding other work. If an employee is out for more than sixteen weeks, there is a good chance that individual will never return to employment. Even if an employee finds a job, it is frequently at a much lower position than held previous to the injury or illness. Employees begin to lose contact with fellow workers and feel shut out.
Unless returned to work as soon as possible, some employees begin to feel that that a workers compensation benefit is better than looking for another job. Workers compensation essentially “rewards” employees for not working. An employee sitting at home is exposed to advertisements from lawyers offering to help them continue to collect workers compensation. This begins to look good as a way to get even with the employer that seemed to discard them as easily as yesterdays trash.
Unfortunately in this system, both employers and injured employees lose. Beyond the initial injury, employees may suffer depression Entire whole families may suffer emotionally and financially if the major bread-winner is injured and off work for any length of time.
The longer an employee is off work, the more expensive a workers compensation (or long-term disability) case becomes. Insurance rates or direct expenses skyrocket. Employers may set themselves up for additional discrimination claims and expensive settlements. Employers lose employee loyalty, and may have under-reporting issues especially if the employee feel their jobs are likely to be lost if they claim a workers compensation injury.
This week's blog will continue the theme of establishing an effective return to work program.
Links:
National Return To Work Week was founded by Margaret Spence, CWC, RMPE - President of Douglas Claims & Risk Consultants, Inc. author of “From Workers’ Comp Claimant to Valued Employee - Employer’s Guide to Implementing a Proactive Return to Work Program - Florida Edition”. - http://margaretspence.com/
National Return to Work Week - http://NationalReturnToWorkWeek.org/.
Free webcasts as part of NRTWW - http://nationalreturntoworkweek.org/register-for-national-return-to-work-week-sessions/.
More about Margaret Spence - http://workcompseminars.com/about/about-margaret-spence/
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