Managing a workers compensation program from an employer's perspective entails implementing proper health and safety protocols to create a safe work environment, and to properly handle claims should an employee sustain an injury while on the job. As employers pay into workers compensations plans supported by provincial governments they do have a considerable financial responsibility.
One of our large customers in the manufacturing sector genuinely wanted to ensure the safety of its employees and had taken the necessary steps to create a safe and healthy workplace. Tied to that was their desire to properly manage their workers compensation program to ensure proper allocation of finance, and proper employee support to help those injured return to work and legislative compliance. Although they were doing a good job, they thought that they could do better.
It was at this point that I was brought on to evaluate their program and identify opportunities for improvement. With the support of my team and the customer, we created internal processes and procedures around how to manage incidents that occur. We were able to provide accurate predictions around loss payment costs tied to workers compensation cases. These efforts resulted in everyone in the organization knowing and following these procedures. The customer experienced increased efficiency around the claims process, a decrease in organizational risk, and they saved money on insurance premiums.
As a workers compensation consultant I take great pride in doing my job well, as I know from experience that a properly run and managed workers compensation program can enhance lives and benefit employees just as much as the employer. It truly is a win-win situation.
Cathy Royet is a workers compensation consultant at Crawford in Canada. This story has some resemblance of real events with fictitious facts and details including the names, places, events, locales, and story specifics. Names, personal details and specifics have been removed for confidentiality. Story details have been enhanced for effect.
