A workplace injury is a stressful, emotional time for your clients. As a work comp agent, it is the perfect time to guide your client through the complex compliance requirements and time-sensitive actions that can determine the long-term impact of the incident.
Be sure to grab this comprehensive checklist, When a Workplace Injury Occurs, as a value-add to provide to your clients and prospects.
Time is of the essence after an incident
When a workplace injury or illness occurs, time is of the essence for multiple reasons:
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- Ensuring the injured employee receives proper medical care
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- Meeting time-sensitive compliance requirements and timelines
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- Containing the incident to minimize the impact on future work comp premiums
This is where you come into the picture. As you know, there are various nuances and competing timelines related to the follow up of a workplace incident. As the agent, you can help guide your client through the necessary procedures, documentation and reporting.
Every one of your clients should know to call you immediately after an injury occurs, so you can help them through the process.
Containment is the key
The third bullet point above – containment – is one that many employers don’t even think about in the aftermath of a workplace injury. In fact, it’s likely they don’t realize just how crucial those first few days are in determining whether the incident will have a minor or significant impact on their experience mod (and thus, their future work comp premiums).
The single biggest variable that impacts the mod is lost time, which means your and your client’s biggest priority should be getting the injured employee back to work as quickly as possible.
Accomplishing this requires a number of actions to be taken as soon as possible following the incident:
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- Reporting the incident to the insurance carrier promptly to expedite the claims process
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- Ensuring the injured employee gets immediate medical care, including written work restrictions from their doctor
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- Determining the appropriate light duty role for the employee to return to as quickly as possible
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- Informing the claims adjuster that you will be prioritizing return to work and not to pay out any lost wages yet
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- Keeping in frequent contact with all stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned and the process is moving forward appropriately
Provide this handy checklist to your clients so they are prepared in the event of an injury.
Cement your value as an agent
Assisting your client after a workplace incident is one of the most impactful ways you can serve them as their work comp agent. Navigating this process can be extremely challenging for employers, and they will be glad to have your guidance along the way.
