The holidays are a time to give and receive gifts as way toexpress our admiration of others. Unfortunately for the workers’compensation industry, it will take more than a portly old man in ared suit to deliver the gift it really needs.

While gift baskets are nice, and client cards are alwaysappreciated—the greatestgift to those in this industry has nothing to do with the season atall. The greatest gift, which worker’s comp professionals wouldwelcome any time of the year, would be improvement of the onefactor over which we have the least control—employee injuries.

So on behalf of an industry that is already struggling with aloss in combined ratios, here’s a holiday wish list of ways toreduce the burden of employee injures and make the workers’ compindustry a little brighter for all involved.

1. Haveabsolute knowledge of accident and reportingprocedures.

There is a reason every school in America conducts fire drills.You might not need to know the quickest way out of a building at10:05 on a normal Tuesday morning, but if the building is actuallyburning, that rudimentary information becomes critical.

In much the same way, timeliness and accuracy is of the essencein a workers’ comp claim. But a claim likely will not be filed withexpediency or precision if the employee—and his or hercolleagues—aren’t well-versed in both the employer’s and thecarrier’s accident reporting policies.

Insurers should make sure that employers deploy a clear strategyfor accident procedures, and employees must take the time know andunderstand those procedures, so that they can follow them withouthesitation if an accident occurs. This includes knowing exactlywhom to contact when an accident–or a developing injury–occurs.Employees should also know the time periods within which injuriesshould be reported, as well as precisely how and where to makethese reports. Ideally, this information should be part of everyemployee’s onboarding process and reviewed in-depth at least onceannually.

That said, the chain of supervision must be carried down tosupervisors–ensuring they are properly trained to take action andhelp the injured employee get medical care from physicians withinthe company’s Preferred Provider Organization. Causes of theaccident should be investigated and any pertinent informationlearned should be explained to the staff to prevent other employeesfrom incurring a similar injury.

2. Informtreating doctors of alternative work availability and thereturn-to-work process.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, it takes about46 days for a tractor-trailer truck driver to return to work aftera shoulder injury and 71 days for a wrist injury. It takes theaverage laborer 30 days to get back to work following an abdominalinjury.

Sometimes unbeknownst to the injured worker, with just a fewmodifications, he can get back to work in just a fraction of thattime if light duty jobs are available.

However, if an employer has a modified or light duty program(and if one is not formally established, one should beaccommodated), that option must be communicated to the treatingphysician. Otherwise, it may take a full 71 days for a driver tocome back to work, when he could be back within 10 days performingphysically undemanding clerical work.

Policies should be formally documented by employers, andemployees should provide all treating doctors with policy forms.It’s also important for employers and employees to consider allpossibilities regarding return-to-work options–even if the employeedoes not live close to the company’s headquarters, branch office orterminal. There are national programs that allow employees in suchsituations an alternative to standard modified duty, such asworking at a non-profit organization.

3. Communicate with supervisors and claimsadjusters.

The uninterrupted flow of communication is essential to anefficient workers’ comp claim – yet too often, that communicationstops with the injured employee.

To efficiently manage the claims-adjustment process, claimsmanagers and adjusters require a comprehensive overview of theinjury and healing process, as well as all pertinent details. Allquestions and information should be volunteered thoroughly andhonestly. If an injury worsens, and claims managers don’t knowabout it, it is far more difficult – and much more costly – to workwith the employee and get him the medical treatment he needs (butmight not want, as in the case of surgery) and get him back towork.

Stagnant communication between an injured worker and asupervisor can create a detrimental gap between needed workrestrictions and physical labor. It can also chip away at thevaluable rapport between an injured employee and his employer. Whenthis happens, not only is the likelihood of a seamlessreturn-to-work transition compromised, but the possibility of alawsuit increases.

Ideally, insurers should require and oversee minimum timelinesfor check-ins–such as supervisors checking in once every twodays–and the same with claims adjusters.

4. Provide all necessary paperwork–on time.

Similarly, adjusters and managers in the back office rely on thetimely intake of workers’ comp and medical documents to mitigatethe claim as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. All toooften, documents are lost en route, submitted with incompleteinformation or filled out inaccurately–which can compromise theintegrity and timeliness of claims and benefits.

With proactive reporting training (which should be reviewed atleast annually), all employees would know how to understand andproperly fill out all injury, claims and work status documents.

5. Followdoctors’ orders.

People have a natural inclination to care for their bodies asthey see fit. So, getting an injured employee to maximize healingby following doctors’ orders at all times can become a significantchallenge. Physical exertion at work can be easily monitored andcontrolled, but committing fully to personal life adjustments canbe harder, especially if the injury is relatively minor.

What a gift it would be to have all injured employees work heeddoctors’ advice so that injuries are not worsened and employeesremain on track to a swift recovery.

6. Prevent the injury from ever happening.

If safety protocols are always top-of-mind in the workplace,then injuries might never occur in the first place. Thoughaccidents do happen through no fault of the injured employee, manycan be thwarted with instruction in labor techniques and proper useof equipment.

Safety counseling should become a consistent and demonstrativetwo-way conversation–not just a set of mandatory online videos. Ifevery employer and employee committed to needed training, the rateof injuries could significantly decrease. And, remember, an injurythat never occurs is far and away best way to reduce workers’ compexpenses.

These wishes are not just for the benefit of the workers’ compindustry. Employees and employers would be also be better off,because fulfillment of these wishes will not only save money forinsurance providers, they will also lower the workers’ comppremiums that employers must pay and keep employees healthy.

Corey Lile is the founder and CEO of OccuSure Workers’Compensation Specialists, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based Managing GeneralAgent specializing in lowering workers’ compensation claims. Learnmore at www.occusure.com.