By Inova Partner, E-COMP
Workers’ compensation is a complex system, but it’s essential for employers to understand how to manage it effectively. By taking the right steps, employers can mitigate their workers compensation liability risks and ensure that their injured employees receive the care and support they need.
Quick Tips for Navigating Workers’ Compensation Management
- Create a clear and concise workers’ compensation policy. This policy should outline the procedures that employees must follow when reporting an injury or illness. It should also explain the benefits that employees are entitled to under workers’ compensation.
- Train your employees on your workers’ compensation policy. All employees should know how to report an injury or illness, and they should understand their rights and responsibilities under workers’ compensation.
- Respond promptly to all workers’ compensation claims. Once an employee has reported an injury or illness, you should immediately begin the claims process. This includes investigating the incident, providing the employee with medical care, and paying any temporary disability benefits that the employee is entitled to.
- Work with your workers’ compensation insurance carrier. Your insurance carrier can help you manage the claims process and ensure that you’re in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Quick Tips for Reducing Employer Workers’ Compensation Liability Risk
- Provide safe working conditions. This is the most important thing that employers can do to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. By providing safe working conditions, employers can reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries occurring.
- Maintain proper documentation. Employers should keep detailed records of all workplace injuries and illnesses. This documentation should include information about the incident, the employee’s medical treatment, and the employee’s return to work plan.
- Be fair and reasonable in your treatment of injured employees. Employers should avoid taking any adverse actions against employees who have filed workers’ compensation claims. For example, employers should not fire, demote, or harass employees who have been injured on the job.
- Have a system in place for tracking and reporting workers’ compensation claims. This will help you to identify any trends or patterns in your claims data.
- Conduct regular safety inspections of your workplace. This will help you to identify and eliminate any potential hazards.
- Provide your employees with safety training. This training should cover topics such as workplace safety procedures, hazard identification, and accident prevention. Many human capital management solutions, such as Inova HCM, offer real-time tracking and reporting of employee training while providing alerts and notifications to ensure employees complete assigned trainings on time.
- Develop a return-to-work program. This program will help your injured employees to return to work safely and efficiently.
By taking these steps, employers can reduce the likelihood of workplace injuries and illnesses, and they can also mitigate the risks of employer liability.
If you’re looking for more info on how employers can better plan for, prevent, and respond to risks related to workers’ compensation, join us for this free informative webinar on Thursday, November 9th at 1 p.m. CT.
