Why Should You Have A Return-to-work Program?
Approximately three million employees get job-related diseases or injuries annually that keep them away for eight days on average. When this happens, worker’s compensation insurance coverage ensures they get the proper compensation. It gives them part of their lost wages and helps them pay off some hospital bills.
After recovering, not all employees can return to work and perform as they did. However, it is only fair for employers to allow them to work in positions their medical conditions will enable them to, and that’s where return-to-work programs come in.
These guidelines and protocols help injured employees return to work after recovery. They not only help with the healing process but also increase the workers’ job security sense and boost their morale at the workplace. A return-to-work program helps employers and employees in different ways.
Benefits to the employer
Employee retention
One of the saddest things employers deal with is losing an experienced and capable employee. Research indicated that the longer employees remain off work, the lower their chances of returning.
If workers remain away for over 12 weeks, they have a 50% chance of returning. That reduces to 5% if they are off for over a year. A return-to-work program ensures the employees return to work, even if not at full capacity.
Employees also love working in organizations that care about them, which is what a return-to-work program says about your company. This will make it easier for even the uninjured employees to remain in the company.
Reduced costs
As an employer, you will incur less worker’s compensation insurance coverage cost the sooner your employees return to work. You also save costs related to losing one employee. If the employee does not return, you must advertise their position and go through the hiring and training phase. Many people don’t realize how expensive the hiring process is, increasing your expenditure.
Another cost you might save is related to production delays. When employees miss work, their tasks remain unperformed or underperformed. This will slow down the company’s operation and might cost you in the long run.
Increased productivity
When employees know you care about them and trust you to be there for them when they need you, it increases their morale and productivity. A return-to-work program lets employees know that they are not easy to replace and that you value their skills.
This makes it easier for them to want to remain sharp and increase their skillset. Even if the injured employee does not return to their original position, they can be valuable in other posts.
Benefits for workers
Reduces financial stress
Once people get injured, one of the things they struggle with is the fear of not knowing whether they still have a job or not. Having a return-to-work program lets them know that even though they might not return to their original position immediately, they still have a source of income.
This eliminates the stress of looking for another job, downgrading or selling their homes or cars, and providing for their families. It also helps them focus on recovering instead of their condition, protecting their mental and emotional state.
Maintains a sharp skillset
Employees who stay off work for a long time might forget or become slack in their skills. This might call for re-training once they come to work or get another job. It might also lead to a lower position if they get a job in another company.
However, if they come back to work after a few days or weeks, their skill set remains the same, and they might even attend seminars to improve their skills as they fully recover. This gives the employees certainty that they might even get promoted instead of losing their jobs.
When developing a return-to-work program, you usually have a list of transitional jobs and responsibilities for employees who can’t return to their positions immediately. This provides these employees a chance to learn and sharpen new skills, making them more productive and valuable to the company.
Remain socially connected
Being home alone dealing with an illness or injury can be depressing. When employees return to work, the company of their colleagues makes them feel better, speeding up their recovery. It also helps boost the employee’s self-esteem and confidence.
Where to get help
While a return-to-work program is essential, you might find it hard to get around it. One of the places to look is the Office of Disability Employment Policy website.
Another way is reaching out to a worker’s compensation insurance company. While these companies are most known for providing employee insurance coverage, they can also offer you extensive instructions and advice on setting up the best program for your company and employees.
At Wigmore Insurance Agency, our employees have received the proper education and training from the best institutions, making them the perfect choice for helping you create a return-to-work program with the utmost benefits for you and your employees.
Regardless of the size of your organization or number of employees, we will do in-depth research and figure out how to ensure you don’t lose your best talent or waste a lot of money on insurance coverage. We have been in the game for a long time, meaning that we have developed numerous programs for different companies in different industries.
In addition, we will help you save more money by connecting you to one of the best insurance companies in our portfolio. These companies cover health, vision, dental, disability, and voluntary benefits.
Depending on the type of insurance coverage you want, we will present you with different companies within your price range and help you choose the best.
To get more information, book an appointment, or make inquiries, visit our website at https://wigmoreins.com/ or call our customer service number.