What really happens in absence of transitional duty options?

Recently, KACo has promoted messaging that discusses some of the benefits of engaging injured workers in transitional duty through return-to-work programs, but have you ever given thought to what really happens in absence of transitional duty options for comparison?

After experiencing an on-the-job injury, workers who require medical attention will quite possibly be given temporary restrictions and taken completely off work. 

Likelihood of this is increased if no job position description exists for the role the worker was serving at time of injury, because physicians may be left to rely solely upon feedback from the worker as to whether duties can be resumed.

In such an example, the off-duty injured worker will collect non-taxable temporary total disability (TTD) payments issued from the workers’ compensation claim file.

The longer an injured worker remains away from work, the more difficult it may become for them to come back to work.

Others on the workforce are likely to be forced to fill the void created by the absent worker. Overall, office productivity is likely to decline, while overworked staff aggravation and claim costs are likely to escalate.

We can help you avoid this type of scenario. 

Talk to your claim representative or safety and loss control specialist if you’d like to learn more about how to aid employee recovery and improve claim outcomes by incorporating transitional duty through return-to-work programs.