BLR’s Human Resources Training Presentations in Texas

1. BLR’s Human Resources Training Presentations in Texas Workers’ Compensation

2. Goals • Recognize the purpose and benefits of workers’ compensation • Understand your role in the system • Know how you can help reduce claims and keep costs down • Understand Texas laws governing workers’ compensation

3. What Is Workers’ Compensation? • Accident insurance program • State mandated • Employer funded

4. What Does It Cover? • Medical and rehabilitation expenses • Lost wages • Death benefits

5. When Does It Apply? • Work-related injuries • Work-related illnesses

6. The Cost of Workers’ Comp • Texas formula • Risk factors for specific jobs • Employer’s claims history

7. Special Terms • No employee lawsuits • No employer retaliation

8. Reporting Work-Related Injuries • Employee claims • Employer reports • Medical reports • OSHA reporting forms

9. Maintaining Contact with Out-of-Work Employees • Keep up employee’s morale • Encourage the employee to stick with treatment program • Demonstrate that the employee is expected back at work • Alert claims manager to any problems • Assure employees of employer’s concern for their well-being

10. Dealing with Permanent Disability • Some disabilities prevent any work • Others may require an employee to do a different job

11. Easing the Return to Work • Rehabilitation • Consultation with medical professionals • Alternate duty work

12. What Alternate Duty Work Is Transitional phase Way for a recovering employee to make productive contribution Temporary Supervised Means to help the employee rebuild strength Opportunity for employee to learn prevention techniques Morale booster

13. What Alternate Duty Work Isn’t • Make-work • An excuse to goof off • A task that could reinjure the worker or aggravate an illness

14. Suggestions for Appropriate Alternate Duty Work • Less strenuous or stressful parts of the employee’s normal job • Normal job tasks performed part-time or at a slower pace • A combination of less strenuous or stressful parts of several jobs • A special project without a tight deadline

15. Help Prevent Injuries and Illnesses • Conduct regular safety inspections • Correct identified problems immediately • Hold frequent safety meetings • Include safety in performance evaluations

16. Help Prevent Injuries and Illnesses (cont.) • Require safe housekeeping • Perform equipment maintenance on schedule • Encourage employee safety involvement • Highlight safety achievements

17. Effective Accident Investigations • Conduct or cooperate with safety investigations • Evaluate situations that lead to stress-related claims • Correct conditions that cause injury or illness • Follow up to ensure that corrective action has been implemented

18. Basic Rules in Texas • Voluntary coverage • Employer notice • Employee waiver • No-fault system

19. Basic Rules in Texas (cont.) • Preexisting conditions and second injuries • Reporting injuries • Contesting claims

20. Medical Benefits • Reasonable and necessary treatment • Travel for treatment • Choice of doctor • Change of doctor

21. Cash Benefits • Temporary income benefits • Permanent partial disability • Supplemental income benefits • Permanent total disability

22. Violations and Penalties in Texas • Retaliatory discipline • Charge backs • False statements and fraud

23. Goals • Recognize the purpose and benefits of workers’ compensation • Understand your role in the system • Know how you can help reduce claims and keep costs down • Understand Texas laws governing workers’ compensation

24. Summary • Workers’ compensation is a valuable employee benefit • Employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses are entitled to benefits • It is important to report all safety and health incidents promptly • Conduct or cooperate with thorough investigations

25. Summary (cont.) • You play an important role in maintaining contact with out-of-work employees and helping them come back to work • You can help reduce claims and keep down costs by promoting safety and health and preventing injuries and illnesses • You must comply with Texas workers’ compensation laws

26. Quiz 1. Employees may collect workers’ compensation when ___________________________________________________. 2. Workers’ comp covers _________________________________. 3. Staying in touch with employees recovering from injury or illness can help identify problems with their treatment or benefits. True or False 4. Regular safety inspections are one way to help reduce worker’s comp costs. True or False 5. A good way to ease recovering employees back to work is ___________________________________________________.

27. Quiz (cont.) 6. You can fire an employee for filing a workers’ comp claim if you think the claim is bogus. True or False 7. It is your responsibility to determine when an injured employee can return to work. True or False 8. Name at least three qualities of effective alternate duty work: ___________________________________________________. 9. Employees with job-related injuries or illnesses shouldn’t return to work until they’re back in peak condition. True or False 10. When you investigate incidents leading to workers’ comp claims, you should try to determine ___________________________________________________.

28. Quiz Answers 1. Employees may collect workers’ comp when they have a work-related injury or illness. 2. Workers’ comp covers medical and rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, and death benefits. 3. True. Staying in touch can also help keep up the employee’s moral, encourage the employee to stick with the treatment program, demonstrate that the employee is expected back at work, and assure all employees that their employer cares about their well-being. 4. True. Regular inspections can detect hazards and give you the opportunity to take corrective action before anyone is injured or becomes ill.

29. Quiz Answers (cont.) 5. A good way to ease recovering employees back to work is to assign them alternate or light duty work that they can perform without reinjuring themselves or becoming ill again. 6. False. Employers are prohibited by law from retaliating in any way against employees who file claims—even if the employer believes that the claim has no merit. 7. False. Medical professionals will determine when an employee can return to work.

30. Quiz Answers (cont.) 8. Alternate or light duty work is (1) a transitional phase, (2) a way for a recovering employee to make a productive contribution, (3) temporary, (4) supervised, (5) a means to help the employee rebuild strength, (6) an opportunity for the employee to learn prevention techniques, and (7) a morale booster. 9. False. Employees may return to work with the approval their physician while they are still in the rehabilitation phase as long as there is alternate or light duty work for them to do. 10. When you investigate incidents leading to work-related injury or illness, you should try to determine what conditions and/or actions caused the injury or illness, whether similar incidents have occurred before, and what equipment, procedures, and/or training changes could prevent future incidents.