Category: General

Workers’ Compensation is designed to provide medical coverage and lost time coverage to employees who are injured on the job or develop a work-related illness as a result of the work environment.  Unfortunately, determining if an injury or illness is work-related isn’t always easy for physicians to do.

During a recent visit to a client, she asked me how to handle a claim situation that she had in which the attending doctor couldn’t determine if the injury was work related. She said that she felt as though their carrier was approving all claims, regardless of the legitimacy of the claim.

So how do you ensure that you are getting the most out of your Workers’ Compensation carrier?

1. Train your staff. Make sure that anyone who will be responsible for submitting claims understands the process and what information to include in the claim documentation.
2. Document the scene. If the claim is the result of an accident, take pictures of the scene as soon as possible after being notified of the injury. Look for potential hazards that may have been in the area, caution/warning signage that was posted that was not properly followed, and any other clues that may help determine the validity of the claim. Send those along with your First Report of Injury to the carrier.
3. Communicate concerns. When an employee comes to you with a claim, you have to report it. But as the employer, you also have the right, and honestly the obligation, to let the carrier know if you have concerns regarding the validity of the claim. Include your concerns in the report sent, and if necessary, pick up the phone and call them once a claim number is established.
4. File Claims Immediately. Stress the importance of reporting injuries or illnesses immediately to both your managers and your staff. Failure to report a claim immediately, even a minor injury, could result in a delay or denial of claim payment. A delayed report of injury may also be an indication that the injury didn’t really happen at work, so be sure to obtain as much information regarding the reported injury as possible.
5. Implement a Return to Work Program. If your organization doesn’t already have one, put one in place. It will help to get injured employees back to work quicker and cut down on potential lost wage claims, as well as deter false claims.
6. Monitor your claims regularly. Audit your active claims on a regular basis. Stay in touch with the carrier on claims that are taking longer than usual to process, claims that have excessive payouts, or claims in which employees have missed an excessive amount of time away from work.
7. Build a relationship with your preferred physicians. Communicate with the physicians that you send employees to when they are injured on the job. Some physicians will be more open to communication with the employer than others. If you have an employee who is out of work, make sure the physician understands your Return to Work program and what type of light duty assignments you can offer the employee. It may help to get them back to work quicker.

The more information you are able to provide when submitting claims, the easier it will be for the carrier to properly assess the claim and make an informed decision.

Is your Workers’ Compensation carrier working for you?

I had the chance to catch-up on some reading while on vacation recently.  I received The Power of Moments from a co-worker as a birthday present (she knows my love language is books), and it had been sitting on my office desk just itching to be read.

The book highlights the importance of four characteristics that create moments:

1. Elevation- Experiences that “rise above the routine.”
2. Insight– Experiences that “rewire our understanding of ourselves or the world”.
3. Pride–  Experiences that “capture us at our best” including times of achievement and/or courage.”
4. Connection– Experiences that are social and that are heightened because they are shared with others.

And I can think of no better “moment” to share than that of our little girl’s first t-ball game this past weekend.

Her coach apparently understands how to create a moment. Check out the video of her at bat here:

You may not have noticed the nuances that make this a moment if you aren’t looking for them in the video, so here they are:

1. Elevation-The coach went out of his way to get the Atlanta Braves announcer to record an intro for each kid… “Now batting for the Ball Patrol (yes, a play off of PawPatrol the kid TV show), number ten, Paige Ward!”   Yes, you read that right, the Atlanta Braves announcer.   He also asked parents to help select their kids “walk up song” and since Paige calls “This Girl is on Fire” her theme song, of course we had to go with it.  Her other favorite song “Body Like a Back Road” just wasn’t appropriate…   Four-year-old t-ball is eventful and memorable for a number of reasons, but it usually doesn’t include walk up songs and professional announcers calling out your name.   In addition, he had a smoke machine for them all to run through to come out on the field.

2. Insight– This helped us as parents realize, more than perhaps the kids did, that this is supposed to be fun.  It isn’t about winning and losing and it isn’t about our kid being the best. It is about the sheer fun of the game.   An insight we all need to realize more.  Life is should be more about having some fun.

3. Pride- Paige is one of two girls on her team. The other little girl on the team, unfortunately, didn’t want to play once she got there, got scared and sat in her grandmother’s lap the whole game.  But for Paige, this was an I can do this with all the boys type moment.  It was a moment to create courage at her first at bat. Oh how fitting then was her walk up song.

4. Connection-T-ball is a team sport and a sport where family and friends come and watch.  It is shared and the sharing of it makes it more fun.  Our neighbors across the street came to see the walk-out routine and laugh with us at the mass chaos four year old t-ball is. All the grandparents were there.   It was something we will have shared memories about.

So kudos to this coach that gets what it means to be a leader by creating moments.  Maybe it is easier to create moments for kids, but I think it can be just as easy to create them in the workplace if we will only challenge our thinking to elevate, create insight and pride and connect with others.

When was your last workplace moment?