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The Employee Value Proposition Post Accident. Accommodation Matters The Art and Science of Linking HR, Workers Comp and Productivity Margaret Spence, President/CEO Douglas Claims & Risk Consultants, Inc. Why Do W e D o What W e D o?. Absence and Presence Management.
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The Employee Value Proposition Post Accident Accommodation Matters The Art and Science of Linking HR, Workers Comp and Productivity Margaret Spence, President/CEO Douglas Claims & Risk Consultants, Inc.
Absence and Presence Management • 54% of HR Professionals Surveyed says they didn’t know how much absenteeism cost their organization. • What is the Organizational Cost to Replace Employees? • Can you quantify the cost right now? • 50% of all hourly employees leave their job within 120 days of hire. • They may not feel valued • 75% of Employee do not feel Valued by their Employer • These Employees are your next nightmare! All of this occurs before the “Workers Comp Claim”
2,986,500 Number of Recordable Injuries in 2011 Bureau of Labor and Statistics – 41 States Actual Injuries 5,000,000 A Workplace Injury Occurs Every Six Seconds – 96,000 Each Week
The Cost of Injuries.. • The National Safety Council Estimates that injuries cost US Employers – (National)…. • $176.9 Billion Annually • $86.6 Billion in lost wages & productivity • $43.2 Billion in medical cost • $32 Billion in administrative expenses • $1300 – the Cost Per Worker (Each Worker in the USA Must Produce $1300 in Goods or Services to Offset National Cost of Injuries)
Our Why…. Injury Management Is Talent Management™ We see Value….
We See the Employees Ability to Continue Working – Really We Do! We Do Not Limit the Employee by Focusing on What They Can’t Do– Right? We Understand that Labels Matter…
Day 1…Engagement Return to work is the primary focus of every discussion you have with injured employees starting on the 1st day of the injury.
Our Job/Role…….We: • Keep the W in Work • Find ways to Engage Injured Employees in their Own Medical Care and Outcome – we instill Value despite the injury. • Create a “Best in Class” Medical Treatment Process that is focused on Immediate Care and Measured Outcome • Get our organizations to understand they must prevent instead of manage • Help Supervisors & Managers Understand Value • Create a Tribe of People Who Believe in What We Do! • Use Data to Enact Change - We must make the Business Case for Why this Process is Important!
We are Return to Work Coordinators…. • We are here to facilitate the return of injured employees to work as soon as they are able to perform meaningful, productive work within their restrictions. • The Key Words: • As soon as possible • Meaningful • Productive • Accommodation Matters • Every member of your organization contributes to the employees successful reintegration to Work…
We Will Create a Business Model • That articulates the Financial, Legal and Procedural Benefit we provide to our organization. • What will your program achieve? What will success look like? and What will you accomplish? • Vision • Mission • Goal • Process • Results • Affect/Effect on Bottom-line Cost
The Negative Argument • We don’t need to bring the employee back to work because… • He or She was a bad employee • He or She will only get injured again • He or She will sue us • We don’t want that employee here anymore • We have little tolerance for injured employees • Its too much energy to establish and maintain a RTW Program.
The Positive Argument… • It’s all about cost… • We will mandate return to work • Because it saves us money. • Because we have a written policy that says so. • Because we will not allow our insurance carrier to pay any lost wage benefits if we can help it. • We value our employees – after the injury!
We Do Not Exist in a Silo… • We must be able to articulate the positive side of Return to Work Programs and • We must be ready to deal with detractors who don’t feel these Programs are viable! • We must learn to speak the CEO’s Language • We must instill Value in every fiber of our program. • We must be willing to Rinse and Repeat
Business Case… • We Must Make a Business Case for the What! • What impact does getting injured employees back to work have on our bottom-line cost and our non-Workers Comp Exposure? • What did we accept, condone, overlook that lead to the employee injury and lack of compliance? • We Must Articulate Our Value “Why should we keep you employed as the RTW Coordinator?” and “Why should we keep the injured employee working?” • What do you add to your companies bottom-line?Justify Your Existence or You will be Extinct!
The ROI What is it? • Defines the Cost of Leaving Employees at Home • Evaluates the HR vs. Workers Compensation exposure • Defines What Successful Return to Work Programs Should Look Like • The Roadmap to building an Effective Team Approach to Getting Injured Employees Back to Work and Keeping Them There.
The Engagement Leading with Cost and Cost Drivers
Prove Me Wrong… • How do you gather the data to prove the ROI? • Premium Payment • Loss Data – 1 Year • OSHA Log • Average Hourly Rate of Pay • Companies Profit Margin – Assume 2%
Result… How many years did we loose?
Productivity Loss… Calculation = Number of Lost Work Days (Productivity)x Average hours worked each day x Average Hourly Rate of Pay
Program Cost… Raw Data from Loss Runs – Statistical Data Used to Calculate the Experience Modification
Simple Math… Linking Productivity with Accommodation (Any Company USA) – Lost 155 days • 155 days x 8 hour work day = 1240 hours • Median Hourly wage = $15.95 ($15.95 x Hours = Lost Productivity) • Lost Productivity: 1240 x $15.95 = $19,778 • The Salary of 1 full time employee for (X) year(s) • Now add: Replacement Cost, Unemployment Insurance, delays in meeting deadlines…….. • Do not allow the blame game to set in.
Along Comes Johnny… When you speak what does he hear? • You’re disabled • You don’t count • You’re not capable • You’re not wanted here anymore • We don’t need you…you were bad news….you are ineffective
The Engaged – Disengaged • 9% Benchwarmers • 50% Disengaged • 7% Free Agents • 34% Star Employees Now Add the Injury
Your Injured Worker…. • Injured “Johnny” • 49 Years old • Simple but Complex Back Injury • Surgical Possibility • Strategically Educated • Long-term employee • Dislikes his Supervisor • Really wants to continue working….maybe! • Someone in your organization is plotting ways to get rid of Johnny – and he knows it.
What Does He Hear?…. • I have a Simple but Complex Surgical Back • I have to have Lumbar Surgery • I will be Off work for 16 weeks • I may be Released to Return to Work Modified Duty • I will have Restriction: Limited Standing, Walking, Must sit, has difficulty managing daily chores, no lifting over 10lbs, no bending – The Restrictions may be permanent
Typical Workers Comp Restrictions: • No lifting over 25lbs • Limited sitting or standing • No use of the right hand • No walking • No bending • No pushing or pulling • No driving • No work • No full time work….
The Double “O” Challenge Obesity • Cost Employers $73.1 billion each year • 13 Times as many Lost Work Days • Medical and Indemnity Cost: 7 – 11 times higher • 30% Suffer from Two or More Co-morbidities Opioids • Rx Accounts for 19% of Claims Cost • Working While “High” • Using heavy narcotics to treat chronic pain conditions • Epidemic Can We Add Wellness as a Key Component of Injury Management?
Every Workers’ Comp Claim Starts With An HR Decision…. Old Exposure New Reality • Lost Wages • Indemnity or Lost Wage Payments • Medical Cost • Ancillary Providers • Litigation • Settlements • Increased Premiums • ADA – ADAAA • FMLA • Age Discrimination • Wage and Hour • GINA • Obesity & Opioids • Retaliatory Discharge • Medicare • Workers’ Compensation and the associated cost.
What are the ADA Qualifiers? • Major life activities: • In general – major life activities include but not limited to – caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working
Typical Workers Comp Restrictions: • No lifting over 25lbs • Limited sitting or standing • No use of the right hand • No walking • No bending • No pushing or pulling • No driving • No work • No full time work….
Well Defined Return to Work Procedures… • What do you want me to do when I am released to return to work… • Who do I notify that I am able to come back to work? • What is your company or organizations requirement? • What will accommodation look like for the employee?
Return to Work Policy… • This policy should define your return to work program… • By addressing how you will accommodate the injured employee. • Outline your expectations for accepting light or modified duty positions. • It should explain that the position is temporary and based on the restrictions imposed by the treating physician. • You should explain how permanent restrictions are handled.
Along Comes the Injured Employee Your Next Step… • Job Description • Job Analysis • Letters to the injured worker • Effective Communication withSupervisors & Managers • Effective Communication with other employees • Proactive communication with the treating physicians
Case Study…. • Nancy Brown is a Home Health Aide. She has a back injury and goes to the doctor. • Her restriction is: Limited lifting – nothing over 5lbs. • Treatment Plan Physical Therapy – 3x per week • Able to return to work light duty… • RTW Coordinator Toolkit: • Employee’s Post Accident Guide • Employee Pre-Injury Job Description • Evaluate FMLA Exposure
Step 1: Pre-injury Job Check • The employee is released to return to work light duty: • Identify the light duty restrictions and decide where you will assign the employee. • Evaluate the pre-injury job to determine if the employee is able to perform all or only specific parts of the position. • Question: Can the employee return to the pre-injury job? Yes or No • Evaluate and Reviwe the: • Pre-injury Job Description
Step 2: Light Duty Assignment • If the restriction prohibits or limits the employee’s ability to do their regular job: • Evaluate the restrictions and determine the exact tasks that will be assigned to the injured worker. • Complete a Job Demand Evaluation for the pre-injury position and the post accident position. Toolkit: • Job Demand Evaluation • Physicians Approval of Light Duty Job • Assignment Form • Supervisor Meeting
Step 3: Compliance • Two areas Employee and Supervisor Compliance: • Employee: • Is the employee showing up for light duty work? • Did the employee respond to your request to return to work light duty? • How do you document that you relayed the job to the injured employee? • Toolkit: • Letters to the Employee • Communication with the Adjuster
Step 4: Documentation • Employee Non-Compliance • I’m in too much pain to work? • I’m taking medication that is making me sleepy – this is a real issue! • Working while totally ill – “Working While Sick” or “Too Sick to Work” • My supervisors is making me do things I shouldn’t • My attorney told me I don’t have to do what you said! • The answer: I really don’t care what your attorney said – We are the employer we set the rules. We are offering you a job within the stated restrictions – these are our rules. • Toolkit: • Document! Document! Document! • No Intimidation Zone
Toolkit – Tricks of the Trade • Immediate and Prompt Referrals for Specialty Care • Functional Capacity Evaluation • Physical Therapy Progress Reports • Physicians approval of the light duty job • Video tape of the job • Physician visit to your facility • Malingering – Non-Compliance!
Multiple Physicians…. • Rinse and Repeat • Enlist the help of the adjuster • Send the job description to new doctor • Ask if the employee can returnto the pre-injury job • Ask if the employee cancontinue in the light duty position • Challenge off work status from “New” treating doctors
Follow-up • You must create a plan or diary system to follow-up with all the players in the RTW process • Employee: • When is your next appointment? • Did you go to the appointment? • Are you feeling any better? Any problems accessing medical treatment • Adjuster: • What is the status of the claim? • What information did you get from the last appointment? • What is the anticipated full duty release date? • Are there any issue I need to know about? • Supervisor: • How is the employee adjusting to work? • Any issues, challenges, problems?
