RTW programs critical to reining in injury costs

Abstract from CTD News: May 2008, Vol. 17 No. 5

In a time of rapidly rising production costs and a slumping economy, employers cannot afford to have injured workers off the job for extended periods of time. As a solution, many businesses are placing an increasingly significant focus on developing and maintaining return-to-work initiatives. These programs not only help employers lower workers’ comp costs and reduce lost time, but they also eliminate the possibilities for fraud and malingering by providing opportunities for injured employees to continue to do productive work while they are recovering. We recently sat down with Cindy Roth, CEO of Ergonomic Technologies Corp. consulting firm in Syosset, N.Y., to discuss the importance of RTW strategies and how they can be incorporated into an overall workers’ comp program and ergonomics program.

CTDNews: Why are RTW programs so essential in today’s workers’ comp environment?

Cindy Roth: In a lot of companies today, there’s a belief that workers’ compensation is there to pay for workers’ comp injuries — rightly so. However, this should not be part of the normal “cost of doing business.” RTW processes, if developed correctly, are essential because they bring the injured employee back to a job that will not create additional or prolonged injuries. Without this, it will mean a loss of profit for the company, and pain and suffering for the injured employee. Many employers don’t realize that costs to productivity are four times the medical expenses for injured or sick employees.

CTDNews: What common mistakes do employers make when implementing an RTW program or attempting to bring an injured employee back to the job?

Roth: Most companies do not have good return-to-work policies. For example, when an employee goes out with workers’ comp injury or illness, the employee is returned to the same job, which might have contributed to the initial injury. However, management is often not aware of what jobs affect what body parts. In addition, local physicians and health care systems are often not familiar with the employee’s job requirements. Therefore, it is easier for them to write work restrictions that might not allow the employee to be as productive as he can be. Ergonomic workplace assessments and job safety assessments are an essential part of any good RTW policy. While the employee is off the job, trained personnel should go to the work site and evaluate which part of the job methodology, tools or equipment affected the injured body part. The goal of the RTW policy should reflect identifying the injured body part and placing the employee on a job that does not compromise that body part. When designing work methodologies, it is also important to share the musculoskeletal risks with a variety of muscle groups to eliminate the high risk factors to one group of soft tissue, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. In addition, employers should familiarize local health care providers with jobs through video or by inviting them into the facilities to observe the jobs being performed.

CTDNews: How should RTW be incorporated into a company’s workers’ comp program? In other words, what departments should be working together, and how can all of a company’s health, safety, ergo and comp elements join forces to work toward the common goal of bringing the injured employee back to the job?

Roth: One word answer — teamwork. First, common goals need to be established for any team to work together and be successful. For the integration of a successful RTW process into the existing workers’ comp or human resources function, everyone who is involved must understand, agree to the need, and set realistic goals for the RTW process incorporation. It is crucial to work with the safety and health department, HR, supervisors and employee reps to begin identifying jobs that are creating workers’ comp claims, and looking at jobs that can be used in the RTW process. Buy-in and compliance with the RTW plan is also critical. Now we really get to the “how to.” Management must be committed to providing accommodations and assisting in the return to gainful employment. With this, you also need written procedures, which reinforce roles and responsibilities for all parties to the process, time frames for participation in the program, accountability for implementation, and a system to track outcomes.

Communication is important

When an injured employee is off the job for too long, the likelihood of return is diminished, according to Cindy Roth, CEO of Ergonomic Technologies Corp. in Syosset, N.Y. That’s why close, regular communication with the injured employee and his physician is essential to a return-to-work program. “Regular communication fosters good relationships between companies and their employees, making for a greater foundation for RTW,” she said. “It is imperative that all employees believe their companies care about them. Making a home visit strengthens the relationship with the employee and indicates that the company wants them to return to work and cares about them. Assisting with transportation needs is another good way to maintain communication with the injured employee.”