Help Employers Use Disability Coverage To Create A Return-To-Work Culture

–Work with a provider who will intervene as early in the disability as possible. Speed counts. Studies show the more time an ill or injured employee is away, the less likely he or she will return. This process begins with Web-based or telephonic reporting that should take no more than three to five minutes. The claim prioritization and resource process should begin the same day the claim is reported.

As part of this process, the provider should capture all the factors that influence return to work, not just medical indicators. For example, a new state-of-the-art disability predictive model can forecast when employees are most likely to return to work based on behavioral and environmental data like how far away from work an employee lives. Through the information this tool tracks, a disability claim receives a score, sending red flags that signal where intervention is needed.

–Look for a provider that handles short- and long-term disability claims as one continuous process. For employers, this means administrative simplicity, consistent claim team understanding of case-specific needs, and early intervention in managing disability claims. For employees, there are no gaps or lapses in benefits payments, no need to refile a claim for long-term disability, and return-to-work expert resources.

–Eliminate company requirements that mandate employees to do 100% of the duties of their job before they can return to work. Be creative in designing temporary assignments that suit employees abilities. “Light duty” or modified work assignments can be a solid first step back into the workplace. Studies show that more than 90% of employees who go back to work part-time eventually return full-time.

–Design job descriptions for employees that spell out their duties as well as the specific physical requirements of the job; for example, how much lifting, bending, or standing is involved? This gives insight into opportunities that may exist to modify the work environment or job duties.

–Dont limit the number of trial workdays that an employee can attempt to return to work during the benefit waiting period. Disability plans that have a 30-day trial work day provision, for example, discourage employees from trying to return to work for fear that the benefit waiting period will start over again if they cant work the 30 days.

–Develop communication training programs for front-line managers. Employers have found dramatic improvements in speeding up return-to-work if an employees manager keeps in touch and establishes the expectation for the employee to return.

–Communicate the companys return-to-work policy and highlight the provisions of the disability plan that reward quick and safe return to work.

Disability coverage can play an important role in strengthening the employee-employer relationship. Companies that are successful in creating a strong corporate return-to-work culture will reap the benefits of improved productivity, lower lost-time costs, and enhanced employee morale–ultimately, retaining the valued employees needed most to help achieve their companys profitable growth goals.

Scott Storrer is Senior Vice President, CIGNA Disability Management Solutions and Customer Service.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Life & Health/Financial Services Edition, September 9, 2002. Copyright 2002 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.