How to Create Effective Return to Work Programs in Massachusetts

Oh no! Your best worker is injured on the job. Besides being the company’s duty to provide workers compensation, it is also crucial to get the employee back into the workplace as soon as possible. As a business owner in Massachusetts, a return to work (RTW) program may be the most effective way of dealing with an injured employee and doing so.

Here are five steps that are absolutely necessary for creating an effective RTW program.

#1: Recruit a return-to-work team to be responsible for the program. Together, this team can develop a policy that reflects the company’s commitment, expectations, functional job descriptions, transitional duties etc.

#2: Keep all employees educated on the benefits and value of a RTW program. Be sure to establish a procedure for those to follow for early reporting of injuries/illness.

#3: Make sure injured employees seek medical treatment as soon as possible to begin the recovery process.

#4: Keep in touch with the injured employee during the recovery process. You should also stay in touch with any physicians involved, medical providers, etc. This will keep you in the loop.

#5: Allow the injured employee to come back to work as soon as he or she gets the “okay” from their doctor.

Generally speaking, you will pay back to the insurance company 2 ½ times the loss of income benefits paid to the employee who cannot return to work. So investing in this program can literally save you thousands of dollars in workers compensation premium. If you are interested in learning more about a RTW program, look no further. Our experts at Wolpert Insurance are here to discuss it all! Besides being your go-to for all your workers compensation needs, we are also here to help you better deal with injuries on the job. The sooner your employee recovers, the sooner your business will be back to normal. It is a win/win for both parties