When your employees have to leave work because of a disability, they receive support from OH Workers’ Compensation. Hopefully, though, they recover enough to return to work. When this happens, do you have an infrastructure in place to support them?
The RTW process is never easy, especially if your employees have been on leave for a while. By having an established RTW program, you support your employees’ needs, make them feel welcome, and create a workplace culture that supports all its members. Here’s what you need to do to create an effective program.
Write Formal Policies
Work with your human resources department to design policies for your employees’ return to work. Detail who is responsible for mentoring recently returned employees and when they need to let you know that they’re returning. Before finalizing your policies, talk to your lawyers to make sure that you’re following the Americans with Disabilities Act and other relevant laws.
Pick a Program Head
Next, pick an HR member or another employee to serve as your program head. This person should have experience with insurance claims and good communication skills. To offer the best support to returning employees, he or she should also be compassionate but firm.
Get Everybody on Board
For your RTW program to succeed, you need all your team members to support it, from your board of directors to your newest hires. Explain the reasons why most of your employees have to take leaves of absence, and note how many tend to return. Highlight the top challenges these returning employees face and ask for your business’s complete support of your new program.
Start the Training Process
Before your first employees return from their OH Workers’ Compensation leaves, make sure you have enough knowledgeable staff members to help with the transition. Ask your RTW program head to hold training for your HR team members and floor managers so that everyone knows how they should treat your employees. Make your policies clear and non-negotiable.
Provide Information About Your Program
Throughout your workplace, provide as much information as possible about the RTW program. Work with your marketing department to develop posters and brochures that explain what your program is and who is eligible. Include contact information for your program head, insurance provider, and legal team.
Evaluate Your Program
As you start implementing your RTW program, have your program head keep track of how many people are using it, and ask for their feedback. Note any changes in your OH Workers’ Compensation claims, especially if more people are returning to their old jobs. Six months after you start your program, present this information in-person to your top officials, and create yearly reports to show off your results.
About Haughn & Associates
Founded by Michael Haughn in 1986, Haughn & Associates is a full-service, family-owned, independent insurance agency based out of Dublin, Ohio. H&A strives to provide the best possible price and unique insurance solutions across a myriad of industries, including construction, IT, Habitation & Commercial Property, Agriculture, and Engineering. Devoted to providing the best of business insurance, life and disability insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, and bonds, H&A is proof that success lies in long-standing client relations and satisfaction. To learn more about how H&A can be of service to you, contact us at (877) 802-2278.
