The Human Response – Workers Comp

11 months ago

An injured employee meets with professionals to review workers' compensation or insurance claims following a workplace incident

Whilst our passionate team love sharing their clinical knowledge with our network and community, we also know that it’s their human response that goes hand in hand with their clinical expertise that forms a positive experience for their clients. And with a positive experience, this influences a client’s perception and their rehabilitation outcomes.

We understand our clients holistically so we know that at times the bigger impact can be based on the human response from their support team, to their injury.

We often hear the negative narratives around workers compensation claims where workers feel as though they are just a number, they feel interrogated, isolated and unsupported.

And we know that the human response for both injured workers and those in their support teams is a mix of psychological, social and organisation dynamics, and can be a complex interplay amongst the different domains.

The bottom line is that we all play a bigger role than what is outlined in the job description in how we support injured workers through their workers compensation journey.

When a worker sustains a work related injury, in most cases the first human responses occur between the Employer and the injured worker. This can also set a precedent to the worker on what to expect in their rehabilitation and RTW journey, much like first impressions. This is where we see responses to injury reporting and the culture within the organisation around RTW, and responses to how workers are supported with early access to medical treatment, to name a few.

So lets look at how Employers can make a difference in how smoothly and successful an injured worker can RTW just through positive human responses.

Genuine empathy and active listening -This could be checking in regularly with injured workers so they feel connected and valued, whilst providing a safe place for them to be heard
Offering flexible and supportive RTW plans – Endorsing ‘recovery at work’ by implementing safe and suitable duties, graded hours, modifications and additional support that allows continued engagement with the workplace whilst they recover
Team collaboration – Involving injured workers in discussions around their RTW and injury management provides a sense of ownership and helps them feel they are the ‘driver’ of their experience, and helps them have a voice
Education to Workers and Supervisors – education around policies and procedures in how to proactively respond to incident and injury reporting, understanding of workers rights and entitlements, and a proactive response that supports early recovery and RTW.
Recognition – acknowledging the efforts put into maintaining RTW and their commitment to their treatment and rehabilitation, but also how this may be challenging for them, validates their experience and reinforces motivation

The key here is recognising that behind every claim, is a person, who in most cases simply wants to get back to what they were doing before.

If we can build a connection and really empathise and understand an injured worker holistically, these positive human responses don’t just make for a more positive experience for all, but they measurably improve RTW outcomes by reducing stress, enhancing cooperation and boosting motivation for recovery and RTW.

So what are we trying to reinforce here?

An injured workers rehabilitation and RTW doesn’t just depend on how they respond to treatment, and the most successful workers compensation cases aren’t just about following claims management steps. They are about managing relationships, setting expectations and most importantly treating injured workers as people, not just a claim, no matter what role you play within their workers compensation claim.