There are basic concepts about workers’ compensation that everyone within an organization should know so that everyone works together toward getting the injured employee and the company back to 100% or, at least, to pre-injury status. One such concept relates to getting the employee back to work as soon as possible. This is known as a “Return-to-Work” (R-t-W) policy.
First, this policy should be a written part of the company policy manual for both legal and consistent application reasons. Without such a policy in writing, the employer can be targeted for subjective discrimination or retaliatory practices as well as managers and supervisors potentially communicating the wrong or inaccurate information to an injured employee. Either way, without a written policy, it could cost the employer hundreds of thousands of dollars in one lawsuit or over time with unintended consequences with the loss of an employee.