Streamlining Injury Reporting for Better Workers' Compensation Outcomes
At its heart, injury reporting is all about information sharing. When managing workers' compensation injuries, there are two key priorities: ensuring your employee receives the care they need and getting them back to work as quickly as possible.
Roadblocks are everywhere, however, the most common occur when an employee is unsure what to do after an injury. If you've handled a few drawn-out cases, you know how time-consuming, complicated and expensive the process can become.
Below are the strategies, techniques and process elements that our clients use to effectively detect and report workplace injuries:
Foster a Safety-First Culture
Create a culture that prioritizes safety and open communication. The safest, most effective organizations have leaders that actively participate in safety initiatives, setting the tone for the organization. Creating a culture of safety is not a one time initiative, it requires regular communication—via emails, posters, and meetings—reinforcing the importance of timely reporting.
Drilling down into culture, safety leaders across industry verticals incentivize prompt reporting through safety awards and performance bonuses. Additionally, they highlight the consequences of delayed reporting and highlight its benefits (more support for the employee and their family, quicker recovery, recognition and bonuses).
For organizations in high stakes, sensitive or competitive environments, anonymous reporting options can encourage transparency and timely reporting.
Ongoing Training and Education
Ensure employees are regularly trained on how and why to report injuries promptly. This can be accomplished by Including reporting protocols in onboarding materials and by providing periodic updates through safety/all hands meetings.
High risk industries often implement mock drills to familiarize and train employees in the reporting process. Crucially, supervisors need to be trained to handle, escalate, and document reports quickly and accurately. Most employees go to their supervisor first, an advisable option for the majority of organizations.
Simplify the Reporting Process
Keep the injury reporting process simple and accessible. Many of our clients establish a hotline, email (e.g., injury@company.com), and/or online portal for reporting. The process that your managers and employees remember how to use is the process that works.
Increasingly, organizations are utilizing technology to streamline detection and communication. This is accomplished through a variety of means, including wearable devices and external sensors that track environmental hazards and notify relevant personnel if an injury occurs. Increasingly at Viscardi, we are seeing the implementation of apps that allow employees to report injuries on the go.
Ensure Quick Response and Follow-Up
A swift response reinforces the importance of reporting and supports injured employees. Investigate and address injuries as soon as they are reported to show employees their safety is a priority and keep employees informed about the progress of their case to build trust in the reporting system.
Involving a qualified medical case management team to navigate complex workers’ compensation cases can significantly reduce out of work time and reduce Workers’ Comp spend. Viscardi’s Case Managers coordinate care and help employees return to work faster, ensuring compliance with state regulations and reducing potential legal risks.