Employers: What is a Return to Work Program & Do I Need It?
A couple of weeks ago I published a blog about 3 ways to reduce the cost of your Worker’s Compensation Insurance policy premium. One of those ways was establishing a light duty or return to work program.
Businesses of all sizes should pay attention to safety and the cost of workplace injuries or accidents to their employees and to the businesses bottom line. No workplace accidents or injuries are best, but a return to work (RTW) programs helps to manage costs and improve recovery after an accident or injury has happened.
Per NYS Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) – “The longer an injured employee is absent from the workplace, the higher the costs will be to you and your carrier. Additional costs include lost productivity, overtime, decreased morale, increased premiums and the cost of hiring and training a new employee if you must replace the injured employee.”
The NYS WCB has released a handbook that contains best practices for a RTW. If an employer follows all of the best practices, they may be eligible for a discount in their premium under the Workplace Safety & Loss Prevention Incentive Program (LPIP) managed by NYS Department of Labor.
We are happy to provide you with resources to develop an individualized return to work program with specific guidance and sample documents provided by NYS WCB.
Feel free to contact us to find out more information on reducing your WC insurance premiums and for detailed information on developing an individualized RTW program for your business. As well as the application and requirements for the LPIP – free of charge.
Author Lisa M. Flaherty is an expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a licensed NYS P&C agent and website publisher. Her expertise is working with business owners eradicating critical coverage gaps in insurance policies, and working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs. Her clients include franchised and non-franchised auto dealers, contractors, retail, hospitality, wholesale distributors, and manufacturing.
Contact: Lisa@tiains.com