return to work

May 25, 2016

Why Do Injured Employees Seek An Attorney?

A recent study found that if an injured employee seeks out legal representation for a workers’ compensation case, the costs will be much higher. Permanent disability claims involving attorneys, or 80% of permanent disability claims, averaged $66,208 in benefits and expenses, compared to $25,300 for claims that did not involve attorneys. Time away from work because of disability also was substantially higher and claims were slower to close. The severity of the injury, the claims process and the perception of the injured employee. While the correlation between severity of injury and attorney involvement is difficult to mitigate, employers can do a lot to minimize the other two factors. A Workers’ Compensation injury is not just a medical problem, there are complex psychological and social issues involved. While there will always be some employees driven by greed and aiming to “game the system,” most people come to work wanting to do a good job, not to create problems. When an unexpected […]
November 25, 2015

Keys To An Effective Return To Work Program

Return to Work Strategies • Job offers should always be made in writing and should thoroughly describe the offered position to ensure the hire is fit for all duties. • When the job is offered, send a formal job offer package along with the offer letter. Make sure it includes all the benefits the potential employee is eligible for, including return to work policies and procedures, so there is no confusion later. • When developing a temporary assignment for someone returning to work, find useful tasks that are not covered by other areas of the company – the goal is not to take work away from another employee. • Create a written job description and job analysis for all transitional duty jobs. These jobs should match physical capabilities with the work that needs to be done so that they are both useful and appropriate. • Hold employees working temporary assignments or transitional duty jobs to the same work rules as other […]
April 24, 2014

Why Do Injured Employees Seek An Attorney?

A recent study found that if an injured employee sees out legal representation for a workers’ compensation case, the costs will be much higher. Recently, the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) released a study finding that more than 11.6% of all California Workers’ Compensation claims and 80% of claims for permanent disability benefits involve attorneys. Temporary disability claims with attorney involvement had an average of $30,319 in benefits and expenses, compared with $5,598 for claims without attorneys. Permanent disability claims involving attorneys, or 80% of permanent disability claims, averaged $66,208 in benefits and expenses, compared to $25,300 for claims that did not involve attorneys. Time away from work because of disability also was substantially higher and claims were slower to close. So what are the key factors that cause an injured employee to see out an attorney? The severity of the injury, the claims process and the perception of the injured employee. While the correlation between severity of injury and […]