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3 Things You Can Do As A Business Owner To Manage Worker's Compensation Claims

31 July 2018

Mattie Bennett

As a business owner, you need to make sure that you have worker's compensation insurance to cover you and your employees if someone were to get injured on the job. In addition to having worker's compensation coverage, there are specific steps you can take to protect your employees and your business.

Train Supervisors On How to Handle Injuries

When someone is injured, they should go to their supervisor with their injury complaint. You need to make sure that your supervisors know how to handle injury complaints. You don't want your supervisors brushing off employees' complaints of an injury; this could be damaging to your business.

Your supervisors need to be trained in first aid to assist an injured employee. They need to know when to call for emergency services and when to allow an employee to leave work to get assistance. Your supervisors should also have some training on how to determine if a claim is valid and how to document the claim.

If an employee is granted worker's compensation, you need to make sure that your supervisors know how to handle and follow work restrictions. Not following work restrictions can be damaging to your business.

Work to Reduce On-The-Job Injuries

Second, you need to make sure that you take steps to protect your employees in the first place. Protecting your employees from injuries is an involved process that requires you to put safety first in your business plan.

Start by making sure that your employee's dress code helps keep them safe. For example, closed toed shoes are a great safety feature for almost every job. More job-specific dress code requirements can help keep your employees safe as well. For example, if employees work around machinery, you can require employees to pull long hair up at work.

Make sure that your business practices stress safety over productivity, and if you start racking up worker's compensation claims, be sure to carefully review the circumstances surrounding the claims and make adjustments to your work practices to prevent further injuries.

Have a Clear Reporting Process

Finally, make sure that your employees understand what they should do when they are injured at work. You should make sure that your staff is all trained in basic first aid; you can hire someone to come out and give all of your employees basic first aid classes. Make sure to keep a well-stocked first aid cabinet at your business.

You should also have accident reports on-site, so if someone gets hurt, they can fill out an accident report. You should train employees to fill out an accident report for every little injury, even if it doesn't result in a worker's compensation claim. That way you have clear records and proof that you watch out for and take care of your employees.

As a business owner, you need to do more than just carry worker's compensation insurance and work with worker's compensation attorneys when necessary; you need to make sure that you put practices in place to keep your employees safe and make sure that your supervisors know how to respond to injury claims.

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