Workers’ compensation has become a costly and difficult programto manage. However, in working with employers across the country, Ihave found that programs often have “hidden gifts.” Once thesegifts are recognized and properly leveraged, employers candramatically improve their workers’ compensation program costs andoutcomes.

Here are seven “gifts” you might explore.

Gift #1: Untapped Talent

Many risk management departments are strapped for resources,especially with today’s reduced staffs. Now is an opportune time totake inventory of your team. Staff members may have overlooked oruntapped skill sets that can be utilized to achieve your workers’compensation goals. After reassessing your team members, you maywant to reshuffle roles to better align responsibilities withintheir expertise and talents. Encourage staff to develop or adoptnew strategies, and give them a sense of ownership and empowermentto foster these initiatives.

Gift #2: Time as a Missed Opportunity

Wasted time and process delays represent missed opportunities inyour program. For example, work-related injuries are often reportedlate, creating a chain reaction of setbacks. As a result, workers’compensation has traditionally been inefficient and highlyreactive. Early intervention can enable a proactive and coordinatedresponse at the time of injury. The first component of earlyintervention is timely reporting. Injury hotlines staffed withtriage nurses enable injured employees to speak to a triage nurse,who is able to make immediate medical decisions that positivelyimpact costs and outcomes.

Gift #3: Unintended Messages

Many workers’ compensation programs aim to reduce injuries.However, if this objective is not carefully communicated, employeesmay misconstrue the message, believing they will be reprimanded ifthey are injured on the job. As a result, many employees do notreport injuries, or they wait until the injury becomes worse totell anyone. Unintended messages can translate into an undesirableimpact on claims.

To avoid this scenario, employers must strive to foster opencommunication, encouraging employees to report even minor injuriesand incidents as soon as possible. For example, injured employeescan call an injury hotline to speak directly with a triage nurse.These nurses are objective and compassionate medical professionalswho listen closely to the details of each injury and focus on theindividual’s unique medical needs. As a result, employees have apositive experience, and employers send a clear message to theirstaff — that they care about their employees’ health, safety, andwell-being.

Gift #4: Unknown Returns

When you implement a new program, whether it is related to backsafety or injury triage, be sure to establish benchmarks andprogress reports from the start so you can measure and track thereturns achieved with your investments into these programs. If youare working with service providers, they also can help monitor theprogress, success, and savings of these initiatives.

Gift #5: Unrealized Savings

As the old management adage goes, you can’t manage or improvewhat you don’t measure. Having the right information is key toidentifying and taking advantage of unrealized savings in yourworkers’ compensation program.

You should start by identifying key performance indicators (KPI)that can help measure areas of importance. For example, a KPI couldbe established to track emergency room visits. If the data showsthat a high percentage of your injured employees are sent to the ERfor care, you may be able to decrease unnecessary visits byutilizing urgent care facilities, occupational clinics, and evenfirst aid when appropriate.

By leveraging an injury hotline on the front end of yourworkers’ compensation process, you not only refer injured employeesto an appropriate level of care, but also collect all the rightinjury-related information, which can later be analyzed for trendsand to devise program improvements.

Gift #6: Unrecognized Success

Whether you are a large public or commercial entity, yourconstituents may be achieving local successes in their workers’compensation programs. Perhaps departments have reduced injurieswith safety initiatives, or they have improved return-to-workresults by establishing an online database of modified dutyassignments. Whatever the case, it is important that organizationshave a mechanism to identify, recognize, and celebrate thesesuccesses.

Many workers’ compensation programs announce successfulinitiatives through an organizational newsletter or web site.Others establish risk control incentives and awards that furthermotivate departments to achieve key workers’ compensationobjectives. Many successful initiatives address common workers’compensation issues, and as a result, these success stories serveas models for other departments and managers to learn from andadopt.

Gift #7: Invisible Growth

A tree grows with branches that reach upward and outward, butthere is also invisible growth below ground. A tree’s rootstructure provides foundation and stability. The same is true foryour workers’ compensation program. Invisible growth may takedifferent forms: establishing stronger skills or depth of expertiseamong your team; creating a shared risk management vision acrossyour organization; obtaining upper management’s buy-in and supportfor your loss control initiatives; fostering a strong culture ofsafety, injury prevention, and early return-to-work. You shouldsearch for and assess progress that may not be easilyseen.

Leverage Your Hidden Gifts

Leveraging these gifts often requires a shift away from focusingon problems and obstacles to viewing your program with an eyetoward valuing the wealth of opportunities that exist. The hiddengifts contained in your program can provide the necessary resourcesand support for success. Take time now to draw out untapped talentsand to celebrate the returns, savings, and growth that your teamhas already achieved, but not yet touted. Ongoing recognition leadsto more creativity and innovation as your team is encouraged by thepositive messages and continued appreciation of itsaccomplishments. When staff members feel empowered to take on newprojects, your organization gains a much-needed edge in itsworkers’ compensation performance.