Q-COMP

Why is managing return to work important?

The longer an injured worker is away from work the less likely it is they will return at all - you may lose a worker with valuable skills and experience.  This may have a negative effect on productivity and customer service.

Time off work due to workplace injury is a significant cost for the employer because it can:

• increase your workers' compensation premium
• reduce productivity
• increase recruitment and training costs
• lead to a drop in staff morale.

There are also costs to your injured worker.  These may include:

• financial and emotional stress
• loss of confidence and self esteem
• loss of social networks
• dependence on disability payments or unemployment benefits.

The good news is that employers can play an influencial role in managing return to work and the cost of workplace injury and illness can be managed with effective workplace rehabilitation.

What can you do?

Prevention is always the best option but what can you do when a worker is injured?  You should create an environment that supports workplace rehabilitation and establish systems and procedures. This makes it as easy as possible for workers to return to work after an injury or illness.

What is involved in effectively managing workplace injury?

Effective management of a workplace injury or illness needs a systematic and coordinated approach. Return to work is not just about medical treatment or injury recovery.  Recovery and return to work are influenced by how employers respond to and support injured workers in the workplace.  Return to work is part of good business management.

Coordinating return to work

There are several important stages in successfully coordinating return to work for your injured worker:

1. Managing your worker immediately after they are injured

How a worker is treated in the first few hours after an injury has a major impact on how soon they will return to work. While each case is different, it is important you:

• provide first aid, send the worker to their doctor or arrange ambulance transportation

• avoid blaming the worker even if you believe they were partly responsible

• help the worker to lodge their claim as soon as possible
• for quick turnaround, lodge claims via the WorkCover Queensland web site, phone, fax, or in person.

2. Managing your worker during the injury recovery period

This can be a physically and mentally challenging time for the injured worker and it is important not to pressure the worker into returning to work too soon. During this time:

• keep in contact with the injured worker and ask what support they need
• ask the worker if they have any concerns about returning to work and how you can help them to overcome them
• contact the worker's doctor and your insurer if you have any concerns about the worker's return to work
• let the worker know you can offer suitable (light or alternate) duties
• encourage the worker to keep in regular contact with the insurer
• encourage co-workers to keep in touch with the injured worker.

3. Planning for your worker's return to work

Taking the lead in planning for your worker's return can help reduce time off work. Start by:

• developing a list of potential suitable (alternate or light) duties
• asking the worker for their ideas about return to work and assessing their motivation for returning
• being aware the worker may be fearful of re-injury and encouraging them to discuss their concerns with their doctor
• involving others in the discussion. The worker's supervisor and co-workers can be a great support
• being flexible about deciding on suitable duties
• asking the insurer for rehabilitation provider involvement for complex cases such as psychological injuries or complex physical injuries
• having a written suitable duties program
• setting up a procedure to monitor the worker's progress
• maintaining confidentiality of the worker's rehabilitation personal information.

4. The actual return to work

For a successful return to work, workers need:

• their employer's support
• supervisors who understand why they can't perform certain duties
• the support of their supervisor and co-workers
• safe duties during their first attempt at return to work
• time to recover with regular breaks
• close monitoring.

5. Improvement planning

Improve the way return to work is managed in your workplace by:

• measuring return to work performance
• gathering feedback from injured workers about their experiences
• meeting with other staff to discuss their experiences
• calculating the average compensation per injured worker
• calculating the percentage of workers who return to work
• investigating whether the worker is still working 12 months after their return
• reviewing your return to work strategies and developing improvement plans
• comparing your organisation to industry or scheme averages (WorkCover can provide performance data)

• investigate the cause of the injury and take steps to prevent a recurrence
• let the injured worker know that you have taken steps to prevent a recurrence
• follow up prevention strategies regularly to make sure they are effective.