Could This Workers Compensation Claim Happen To One Of Your Employees?

Yesterday I read in the local paper where an employee, while operating an electric saw, was severely injured. While cutting some wooden boards he apparently lost control of the saw and severed three fingers. In addition to the employee being severely injured, both physically and emotionally, here are just some of the other ramifications of this accident:

• The employee’s family was also traumatized. The wife was notified and had to quickly find someone to take care of their children while she rushed to the hospital. Racing through her mind were thoughts like: “Is my husband going to be OK? “How could this happen?” “Is the employer looking after my husband?” “How are we going to pay our bills while he is not working?” “If he can’t go back to work for some time, what are we going to do?” It is extremely important that the employer take the time to answer any questions that the employee’s family may have and communicate compassionately to them through the claim process.
• The employee is severely hurt, scared and insecure. Once the employee gets medical care and is stabilized they often begin to ask themselves: “Am I going to lose my job over this?” “Who is going to pay for my medical bills?” “Will I be paid while I am off work?” These are natural questions that anyone of us would ask if were hurt on the job. It is critical that the employer put the injured employee’s concerns to rest and not be judgmental. To do otherwise would push them towards getting an attorney and no one wins.
• The employee’s co-workers are affected. No one likes to see a fellow worker get hurt. I have yet to see an injury like this that does not disturb other employees. The supervisor, as well as local management, should quickly meet with the other employees, tell them what they are doing to care for the injured employee, and ask them for help to determine what can be done to prevent this from happening again. The employer must show genuine concern or the employees will think that they are disinterested. This will only undermine the trust they otherwise would have for their employer. Again, no one wins.

Responding promptly and compassionately to a worker injury is at the core of a solid injury response process. The main reason why employees seek out an attorney is not because they are “gold bricks.” It is because they are confused, threatened, insecure, and the employer is doing little to convince them otherwise.

These techniques will significantly reduce both the direct and indirect workers compensation costs, improve your overall workers compensation claim management program, and improve workers compensation disability management.

The Resource Library within the CompEraser system is loaded with all the tools, forms and checklists you must have to successfully shown genuine compassion to your injured employees. For more information go to www.comperaser.com.