The importance of communication with an employee during the return-to-work process cannot be minimized. Now, due to COVID-19 concerns and surrounding uncertainty, communication is even more important than ever. That’s why we’ve enhanced our service to have even more contact with our Transition2Work participants.
Let’s explore the many reasons why communication is so critical to the return-to-work process:
Empathy
While you may not be able to heal an employee’s injury as their employer, communication with them on a regular basis is important to the healing process. Communication helps injured workers through the process of workers’ compensation and sets the tone of cooperation between employers and injured workers throughout their recovery. Good communication also shows staff how they will be treated if they are injured, so it is important to promote a culture of empathy and trust.
As an employer, it is important to remember that an injured worker is in a position they may have never been in before. They are not experts on workers’ compensation benefits, they are in pain, unsure about their job security, and worried about the financial security of their family. One reason injured workers don’t return to their jobs is that they feel anxious about their work situation. Knowing their employer is concerned about their health and is looking forward to their return can motivate them to return to work as soon as medically possible.
Support
By communicating early and often with injured workers, employers have the opportunity to provide information on the return-to-work process and be a direct supporter of their employee’s recovery. A simple phone call from the employee’s supervisor or direct manager can make an injured worker feel connected to the workplace, valued, respected, and wanted back at work.
A 2010 study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute found that by calling the injured employee within a week after an accident to talk about their value to the company reduces the chance of a lawsuit by 50%. Further, A study conducted by Gallup showed that employees who are satisfied with their employer’s response to inquiry or illness return to work 50% faster with 54% lower cost.
Trust
This goes to show that communication is important. Injured employees may have questions about the process, express concerns about their job security, or air complaints. Some managers are cautious about talking to their injured workers. They may be worried about privacy laws around medical issues or unfamiliar with the details of the company’s workers’ compensation program. By communicating, even if just to show empathy, employers can foster trust in their injured workers and reduce the chance of litigation.
Summary
At the end of the day, communication is just the right thing to do for an employee who is injured and anxious. We will continue to help Transition2Work participants by communicating important updates or changes to them and their employers. If you’d like to learn more about our recent communication enhancements, contact us! Email us at accountmanagers@reemployability.com today.
Thank you for trusting ReEmployAbility to help your employees return to work.
