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How do you reduce your company’s lost-time incidents and costs related to injuries and accidents? Dennis’ Seven Dees Landscaping, Inc., in Portland, Oregon, has found that one of the most effective ways is to create a proactive modified-duty/return-to-work program. “We have been actively working in this area since the early 1990s,” says Nathan Dirksen, Dennis’ Seven Dees’ construction manager. Dirksen, who heads the company’s program, adds, “We are constantly looking at new ways to keep people returning to work as soon as possible.”

A return-to-work program provides modified, temporary work for employees with job-related injuries or illnesses until they can return to full duty. Return-to-work programs are designed to get injured or sick employees back to the workplace as soon as medically possible. It’s important that companies with return-to-work programs stay in close contact with an injured or sick employee’s physician and that they follow the doctor’s instructions on when the employee is medically able to return to full duty.

Dirksen cites numerous benefits of his company’s return-to-work program. Calling ahead to let an employee’s treating physician know that the company has such a program generally has resulted in a much quicker return to work — and a shorter, less costly workers’ compensation claim. Return-to-work programs also benefit injured or sick employees by enabling them to feel that they are still part of the workplace team. Additionally, studies have shown that progressive, modified-duty work can help avoid significant deconditioning of an injured body part and speed an injured worker’s recovery.

Tips

Dirksen offers the following tips for an effective modified-duty/return-to-work program:

1.  Let injured or sick employees know that you are concerned about their health and that getting them back to work is important for everyone. “No one wants to be hurt, and people often blame themselves for the situation,” Dirksen notes.
2. Stay in touch with employees throughout the entire process. Communicate with them from the time they become injured or sick through the time they return to work and are released to full duty. “Set up weekly meetings or phone calls if an employee is unable to come to the office,” he suggests.
3. Create a good working relationship with the doctor’s office. “Let the doctor know that you are interested in working with him or her to get the employee back to work at full strength,” Dirksen says.

Here are some additional tips:

• Develop a written modified-duty/return-to-work policy that briefly explains the purpose of your company’s program and how it works. Be sure to state that all modified-duty jobs are temporary in nature.
• Work closely with your insurer, as well as with local medical clinics. Your workers’ compensation insurer can assist you in setting up a return-to-work program and in managing an injured or sick employee’s claims costs.
• Develop a list of potential modified-duty tasks. Include each task’s physical requirements. Although you will want to assign modified-duty work on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the doctor’s medical restrictions, it’s a good idea to create a list of the potential tasks that are available. Seek assistance from your insurer or local medical clinic if needed. Another good resource is a longtime supervisor or employee who has regularly performed a particular task.
• Promptly report all work-related injuries or illnesses to your workers' compensation insurer whenever medical treatment is required or the potential for missed workdays occurs. Prompt reporting can greatly reduce the cost of a claim.

9/06

By Barbara Mulhern, PLANET Safety Specialist