Step 1:  Refer employee for medical attention.

• • If the injury is an emergency, seek immediate care for the employee. All state workers’ compensation laws allow the employee to see any doctor in an urgent situation.
  • If the injury is not an emergency, refer the employee to a medical provider within your company’s network.
  • Never prevent an employee from getting medical attention.

Step 2:  Report the injury.

 According to the Department of Labor, several reports must be completed when an injury occurs in the workplace.

1. 1. Complete a First Report of Injury or Occupational Disease form as required by your state workers’ compensation law.
   2. Report the incident to Human Resources, the employee’s direct supervisor, and the medical provider who saw or treated the employee.

Report the incident objectively—do not skew information gathered from the scene or from witnesses in any way, even if your preliminary instincts tell you the claim is not legitimate.

Step 5: Stay in communication with the injured employee.

From the moment a workplace injury occurs until the injured employee returns to work, employers and employees should have open communication. It is important for employers to make their employees feel appreciated and to invest in their well-being. This helps employees feel welcomed, valued, and trusted. Employees who face work-related injuries and illnesses commonly have subsequent stress and anxiety. This stress is made worse when employers stop communicating with the employee while they’re unable to work.

Furthermore, lack of communication with employees can lead to increased workers’ compensation claim costs. An injured employee is more likely to hire an attorney if they don’t understand the workers’ compensation claim process or feel there is a nonexistent relationship with their employer. Employers must form trusted relationships with their employees and create an environment with open lines of communication. It is important that employees feel supported, especially following a workplace injury. This shows employees they are valued and, at the same time, will reduce the employer’s workers’ compensation costs.

Following an injury, the communication begins with employers, and they should: 

• • Explore what happened immediately following an injury. Employers should be empathetic toward injured employees and discuss what led to the injury.
  • Give injured employees the information they need regarding whom to contact with questions and how they can check on their claim status.
  • Check in with employees to see how treatment is going and if their doctor is being supportive.
  • Discuss wage replacement and how it works with injured employees.
  • Discuss how long injured employees need to wait until they receive a benefit paycheck.
  • Explain that a workers’ compensation adjuster will call to review the injury. It’s also important to let employees know that this is a standard procedure for insurance claims.
  • Discuss return-to-work options so injured employees clearly understand their options when that time arrives.

At least every other week, employers should reach out to injured employees to check in on them. Key times to touch base include after surgery and scheduled treatments. It is important for employers to reassure the injured employee that they are looking forward to the employee’s return.

Employers should also reiterate their readiness and availability should the employee need help. By regularly following up with the employee, employers can determine where the employee is in the recovery process.

Employers must provide any updates regarding the injured employee to the claims adjuster. This helps keep the claims adjuster in the loop of the employee’s treatment.

Step 7: Allow the employee to return to work restriction-free.

As injured employees return to work and continue to heal, employers can adjust the number of check-ins they have with the employee. Initially, employers should communicate frequently to ensure employees are comfortable and the work isn’t creating any further issues. However, as employees settle back into their normal routine, employers can limit this to an occasional check-in, making sure injured workers are continuing to improve and are able to confidently perform their jobs.

It is important to remember that employers often overlook the simplest way to mitigate claim costs—employee communication. Happy employees are ones who feel valued, and communication is essential to gaining their trust and controlling workers’ compensation costs.

During the onboarding process, all employees should be trained on the employer’s workers’ compensation protocol in the event they experience a work-related injury or illness. Employers should discuss how to report an injury and the urgency of the time frame of when to report an injury. By setting expectations upfront, employers can facilitate ongoing communication, which helps foster these important relationships.

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