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R&R Insurance Blog

Absence Management: Best Practices and Positive Outcomes

Posted by the knowledge brokers

Injury-at-Work.jpgThe causes of absenteeism are varied, and so is the impact on companies - from decreased productivity to a reduction in profit and morale.

Some employers are finding better ways to manage employee absence. Research shows a direct correlation between these five major employer practices and a better absence management program:

  1. A full return-to-work (RTW) program, starting with a written RTW policy and a list of alternative duties for light duty clearance.
  2. Referral process for employees to health management programs.
  3. A central leave-reporting system for STD and FMLA.
  4. Detailed reporting for disability and FMLA usage patterns, costs etc.
  5. Use the same resource for STD, FMLA and other benefit programs

7 Positive Outcomes of an Absence Management Program

  1. Enhanced productivity
  2. Reduction in lost-time claims
  3. Decreased overall absenteeism
  4. Direct cost reduction
  5. Better return-to-work ratios
  6. Lower workers compensation premiums
  7. Improved employee morale

Employers are recognizing the importance of managing absences, but most have a long way to go in managing their overall presenteeism program.

Implementing strategies to help workers stay healthy is critical to controlling costs. At R&R, we take wellness to a whole new level. Wellness programs will increase the health and longevity of employees and their families –which means that businesses can have a lot of control over their health insurance costs and the productivity of their employees – control that they don’t know they have. At R&R Insurance, we call this program WellCompForLife!

Join our upcoming Work Comp Seminar to learn more!

Topics: Return to Work, Workers Compensation, Employee Benefits, Wellness, Accident Investigation, presenteeism, std, Business Insurance, FMLA, Absence Management Program, WellCompForLife, absence management

Top 10 Causes of Employee Disability

Posted by Donald Levings

Injured LegFor the past 12 years, Unum reports the leading cause of its long-term disability claims is cancer. “Most people who have been diagnosed with cancer are very motivated to get back to work,” says Kristin Tugman, senior director of health and productivity at Unum. “It helps create a sense of normalcy and control at a time when people often feel understandably overwhelmed.” Cancer is also Unum’s No. 6 cause of short-term disability. Here are the top five LTD and STD causes according to 2012 claims data from Unum.

Top 5 Long Term Disability (LTD) Causes

  • #1 LTD cause: Cancer
    Cancer accounts for 16% of LTD claims. Dramatic trends in recovery and return-to-work have improved this number over the past few decades.
  • # 2 LTD cause: Back Disorders
    Back problems account for 15.1% of LTD claims. Watch for them to show up again in STD claims. The lesson here: workers need to watch their back.
  • #3 LTD cause: Injuries
    Accounting for 9.8% of LTD claims, injuries are among the most difficult to prevent of any health claims. The more unexpected a health risk, the more important to have secure insurance safety nets in place.
  • # 4 LTD cause: Behavioral Health Issues
    Essentially a tie with injuries at 9.8% of LTD claims, behavioral health is often not covered under a traditional health plan. So when a disability arises from it, coverage becomes all the more important.
  • # 5 LTD cause: Circulatory System Disorders
    We all know we should take better care of our hearts, but are employees? Circulatory disorders come in 9% of LTD claims

Top 5 Short Term Disability (STD) Causes

  • # 1 STD cause: Maternity
    Normal, healthy pregnancies make up 18.9% of Unum’s short-term claims.
  • # 2 STD cause: Injuries
    Non-back-related injuries make up more than one-in-10 short-term disability claims, or nearly one-in-seven of all STD claims not related to maternity.
  • # 3 STD cause: Complications From Pregnancy
    Pregnancy complications account for 8.4% of STD claims.
  • # 4 STD cause: Digestive Disorders
    These represent 8% of STD claims, according to Unum's data.
  • # 5 STD cause: Back Disorders
    In addition to 15.1% of LTD claims, back problems make up 7.1% of STD claims

With 65% of workers living paycheck to paycheck, employers offering voluntary disability products provide their employees with a financial safety net in case any unforeseen circumstances occur. Wisconsin companies, for more in formation on offering disability insurance to your employees or purchasing disability insurance products for yourself, your professional team or your family, contact knowledgebroker Donald Levings. More information about disability products can be found on our website.

Topics: Employee Benefits, Voluntary Benefits, Disability Insurance, ltd, std, disability, don levings, short term disability, Unum, Long term disability