Written By: Catherine Yancy, Account Executive, Brentwood Services Administrators
“Help Wanted” and “Now Hiring” are “signs” of the current labor shortage economy everyone is experiencing. If one of your employees gets hurt on the job, you want to help that employee to return to work as soon as possible. What you do immediately after an injury occurs and in the following days can make a significant impact on the ultimate outcome of that workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ Compensation and On-The-Job Injury Programs are built around an objective that includes providing care for an employee that has sustained a compensable work-related injury while on the job. The realm of our industry can be complex yet vital, and if you are reading this article, then YOU are someone who can make a difference.
How can you truly make a difference? A major complaint of injured employees who miss time from work is that no one at my employer cared about me, no one called to ask me how I was doing, or if I needed anything. Put yourself in the shoes of the injured worker and consider how their day may be going or how they are feeling. Empathy makes a difference. It also makes a difference in the language that we choose to use. For example, when speaking with an injured worker, certain words can seem off-putting such as: “claimant,” “denied,” “date of loss,” or “compensable body part.” We must remember that the person on the other end of the phone may believe that if they start hearing those words, it is time to call an attorney from the first commercial they see on TV. For starters, we can choose better language when speaking with others involved in the claim. In claim reviews, practice introducing the injured employee and how they are related to the claim, and then say the injured employee’s name the rest of the time rather than continuing to state “claimant.” This practice can apply to any person involved in the claim as well. Saying someone’s name humanizes the person and helps us to see them as an individual, with a life outside of work, hobbies, parents, a family, a history, and a future.
Next, take the time to kindly explain the process of the claim and present all alternatives, rather than assume that the injured employee knows what to do. A dialectic must be consistently maintained while practicing kindness. We can help the injured employee by communicating with care while simultaneously pursuing a thorough investigation within the parameters of the law and policy. For example, if a reported claim is discovered non compensable, we can still treat the employee with kindness and compassion while we deny the claim and educate the employee on other potential available options. There is a proper way to deny a claim that may not immediately lead to litigation. When a person feels heard and believes that you hold their best interest in mind, trust is built.
Tools and resources are available that we may utilize to help make a positive influence on the claims handling process. For instance, there are text message automation platforms that allow us to check in on injured workers and collect feedback. Text message automation can also serve as a reminder of doctor appointments and may be auto translated in the receiver’s preferred language. There are now mental health providers available who understand worker’s compensation and will set a certain number of sessions with the individual to focus specifically on the work-related issues and motivate them to return to work with confidence. There are electronic signature applications now instead of old-fashioned printers and fax machines. Telehealth appointments are offered in certain instances and will be increasingly prevalent in the future. If we begin to utilize the resources available to us that can help establish a track record of returning employees to work safely, we are not only positively impacting that individual, but we are also positively impacting society with increased employee retention rates, a reduction in litigation and increased employer loss mitigation. Your influence continues to positively impact overall mental health and wellness, financial stability, the state of our economy and world that we live in.
In the insurance industry, we do not always see the fruits of our labor, and it can be a thankless job. However, keep in mind that you may positively impact a person’s life by showing empathy, kindness and taking the time to listen. You might encourage a person to keep working at their job with a renewed purpose. Your quick action to direct treatment might save a life. You may have motivated one of your employees to return to the work community when you did not even know they were close to quitting and on the verge of great instability. Your involvement in Kids’ Chance may help offer education to a child of a parent who was killed or catastrophically injured while in a work-related accident. Your participation in the Tennessee Bureau’s R.E.W.A.R.D program may help an injured worker return-to-work with ease. Your leadership in TNPRIMA may motivate someone who is looking to get involved. Your unique role has a ripple effect in the world we live in, and you can certainly make a difference.
If you have any questions or comments for Catherine, feel free to reach out to her at catherine.yancy@bwood.com or call her at 770-654-0261. She would love to hear from you!
Written By:
Catherine Yancy, Account Executive
Brentwood Services Administrators
catherine.yancy@bwood.com
770-654-0261