Prioritize Workplace Safety with an Effective Return-to-Work Program

Preventing accidents is the most effective way to control workers’ compensation costs and ensure workplace safety. Unfortunately, workplace injuries may occur no matter how safety-conscious your healthcare organization is.

When an accident occurs, a key priority for any employer is to help the injured employee return to a role that matches their abilities.

Return-to-Work Program Benefits

A return-to-work program aims to reintegrate injured workers into the workplace as soon as they are medically able. This initiative offers significant benefits to both employers and employees.

Retain Experienced Workers

Injured workers who stay away from work for extended periods may become disconnected and dispirited. By facilitating their return even with modified duties, employers can retain their experienced and skilled workers, preventing a loss of valuable knowledge and expertise.

Reduce Turnover & Costs

Promptly returning trained staff to work helps employers avoid the costs associated with hiring and training temporary or permanent replacements. This reduces turnover and maintains continuity in the workforce. Returning injured workers to some form of work also results in cost savings related to workers’ compensations benefits.

Improve Employee Relations

A return-to-work program demonstrates an employer's commitment to their staff's well-being, showing that they care about their employees' recovery and future. This commitment can foster improved employee relations and morale. When employees feel supported by their employer and appreciate the opportunity to return to work after an injury or illness, it strengthens overall employee relations. This support can also help shorten the overall recovery time for injured workers.

Transitional Work

An injured employee may not be able to return to work at their full capacity but could be cleared to work with accommodation. Transitional work — assigning an employee temporary duties that comply with their restrictions due to injury — is a creative way of allowing the employee to transition back to work.

A recent presentation from West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Chief Human Resources Officer Christi Kingsley, CHHR, suggested many transitional work ideas, including:

• Answering call lights, phones in reception areas
• Charting, scribing
• Checking fire extinguishers and other equipment
• Light cleaning
• Checking expiration dates, food, medicine, supplies
• Setting up meal trays, feeding patients
• Filing, purging drawers, other clerical duties
• Labeling shelves, folders, bins
• Folding laundry
• Greeting visitors, providing directions
• Opening, sorting mail
• Passing out medications, water, nourishments
• Shredding
• Stocking linens
• Straightening drawers and shelves
• Updating job descriptions
• EMR audits
• Chart analysis
• Patient call backs
• Data collection, quality indicators

Evaluate Your Return-to-Work Program

Implementing a return-to-work program is an essential strategy for healthcare organizations to manage workers’ compensation costs and support injured employees. By reintegrating workers as soon as they are medically able, employers can retain experienced staff, reduce turnover and costs, and improve employee relations.

Transitional work assignments provide creative solutions for accommodating injured employees, ensuring they remain productive and engaged. Ultimately, a well-structured return-to-work program benefits both the organization and its employees, fostering a supportive and efficient work environment.

Want more information about workplace injuries and tools to equip your organization to address them? Check out our five essential must-haves for handling workplace injuries.