Tips for an effective Workers’ Compensation Program
September 27, 2016
Want to get your Workers’ Compensation costs under control?
Take a few tips from this California based supermarket chain who slashed drug costs 71% in 2 years. How was this achieved you ask? Here are a few featured components of the Stater Bros. Markets Workers’ Comp Program.
EXPERIENCE: The director of the workers’ compensation program, overseeing more than 18,000 employees, was an employee of Stater Bros. and worked a variety of jobs throughout the company before being assigned the post of Director. As a result of her experience with Stater Bros. Market, she knew first-hand the daily tasks involved in many of the jobs within the company.
SAFETY: In place safety measures to help avoid common injuries, including onsite professional assistance with taping, wrapping and icing to help with efficiency as well as injury prevention.
OVERSIGHT: High standards are requirement of their industrial clinics so employees feel like they are getting the best treatment possible in a clean and friendly environment.
TRAINING: Stater Bros. Markets is big on actually training employees instead of the “Read and Sign” method put out by many employers. They do extensive training on common occurrence injuries such as sprains and strains.
CLAIMS REVIEW: Stater Bros. Markets has seen a 71% decline in drug costs due to a claims review process where they discovered an over-usage and over-prescribing of certain drugs.
LOSS PREVENTION & SAFETY: Stater Bros. Markets has a dedicated team assigned to work collectively with their insurance carrier on loss-prevention and safety programs within the company.
MEASURE/FEEDBACK: Positive employee feedback, the immediate improvement in operations, and the decline in reported injuries are all measures of an effective program.
Review of some important fundamentals when developing your Workers’ Compensation Program:
- Have someone in charge who knows the details of the jobs being performed
- Treat employees as you would members of your own family
- Train, train, train and be on top of common injuries and ways to avoid them
- Review claims; past mistakes can help you avoid future ones
- Have a team in place that involves your company with the outside sources affecting your program. These should include your workers’ compensation insurance company, your insurance broker and the physicians & clinics that treat your employees.
We hope you have found this blog educational. At The Armstrong Company Insurance Consultants we strive to keep you informed. Contact our experienced licensed representatives for help with your Workers Compensation and other risk areas or Request a Quote online today. We are here to work for you!