Mooney adds that the person you designate to help fill out forms also can type the information or make sure the information is entered legibly. One large insurer says that most injury reports are filled out by hand and often are incomplete or illegible. Moreover, they arrive on average 18 days after the accident. Incomplete and illegible forms just necessitate a lot of information checking between the insurer and the injured worker, an activity that irks everyone concerned. A phone call, a card, a note with news about a project the employee worked on or even about the birth of a co-worker's baby will show the worker that he or she is a valued contributor to your business and an important part of its community.
Some persons think an injury automatically means spending a couple of weeks at home.
Before any of your employees is injured, you've got to let them know that because your business is a small one, you need all your people on the job. But be sensitive to their needs. Once they're back at work, allow them time to get up to speed. If at all possible, give the injured employee who has returned to work an alternative job that's suited to his or her post-injury abilities. Make sure the worker understands that the modified duty is limited to the time it is medically necessary.