Getting injured employees back on the job, together with rigorous injury and illness case management and more serious attention to safety training in general, has put the brakes on runaway workers' compensation costs. For example, from 1985 to 1992, workers' compensation costs grew at an annual rate of nearly 15 percent, according to the Social Security Administration. But from 1992 to 1995, workers' comp health care expenses per worker decreased annually at a rate of about five percent. Only five states surveyed reported increases. But with success has come controversy.
Emotional pitfalls Returning an injured employee to the job is a delicate issue.
It can imply that injured employees are getting off lightly. The issue is indeed emotionally charged. Maybe they feel they let their employer down by getting hurt. Maybe they blame coworkers. Perhaps they deny any responsibility.