An effective Return to Work Program is a vital tool in any Risk Management Program and helps both employees and the employer in various ways, including controlling workers’ compensation costs, reducing turnover, maintaining productivity, and improving morale. Historically and statistically speaking, the longer an injured employee stays off work, the less likely he or she will ever return to productive, meaningful employment.
The Risk Pool developed the Establishing an Effective Return to Work Program resource as a guide for members to help build the foundation for a program to help injured employees get back to work after an injury. The resource includes helpful information for ensuring program success, including the benefits of a return to work program, potential hurdles facing an employer during program development and implementation, organizing a program (policy), communication of the program to employees, monitoring the program’s effectiveness, and sample documents to help in the development and implementation of a return to work program.
For more information or assistance with developing a Return to Work Program, please contact your Loss Prevention Representative.