Return-To-Work Programs Make Sense In A Recession

Job accommodations or transitional duties features. These allow employees to come back to work and be productive, even if they are not yet functioning as before the disability.

Contingency planning before claims are filed provides employers with RTW options that become immediately useful in the disability management process. These options include original job functions as well as productive alternative functions. They can be given to the treating physician on the initial visit, thus introducing the question of work immediately as a natural consideration within recovery and treatment planning. This is important, because various studies indicate that prolonged time away from work makes recovery and return to work progressively less likely.

Wellness, disease management, ergonomic interventions and employee assistance programs. These contribute to reduced absence by keeping employees healthy, reducing the incidence and severity of work-related injuries, and raising employee satisfaction levels. These RTW interventions can be applied to any disabling injury or illness claim, regardless of whether it is work related.

Bottom line? Reducing direct expenses, such as wage replacement and indemnity costs, directly affect the companys profit-and-loss statement, increasing shareholder value. Some estimates say an employer with $100 million payroll can expect to spend $3.9 million on direct costs associated with time off and disability benefits from workers compensation and short- and long-term disability. The net result of a successful RTW program is a reduction in those costly lost workdays.

Keep in mind that union issues and state regulations can impact a companys ability to implement RTW initiatives. Industries with highly specialized jobs–airline pilots, for example–may have less flexibility to offer appropriate accommodations.

Also, RTW may be less critical for businesses with highly motivated professional staff, such as law firms.

Even so, productivity remains a concern for all businesses. When employees with unique skills are unable to safely perform their routine duties–despite their strong motivation to do so–professional consultation by experienced ergonomic and workplace specialists can help.

Finally, in order for a RTW program to be effective, it must be supported throughout the companys culture, beginning with senior management and cascading through line managers to the employees themselves.

Overall, managing earliest and safe returns to the workplace is one of the most powerful strategies for reducing lost workdays and improving overall workforce productivity in a challenging economy.

is director of Integrated Disability Management product development at Intracorp in Philadelphia, Pa. Her e-mail is [email protected].

Reproduced from National Underwriter Edition, February 24, 2003. Copyright 2003 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.