The Gold Standard: Nine Steps to Effectively Managing Your Workers' Compensation Process

By Mary G. G. Russell

Workers' compensation is an all-too-often abused, misunderstood, complex, and sometimes poorly managed process that is very costly to an organization. This book is designed to aid HR administrators to effectively manage this process to lower recordable claims, reduce the number of litigated claims, and garner employee support. All with the intent to lower experience modification rate and premiums.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645444572

Book preview

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The Gold Standard

Nine Steps to Effectively Managing Your Workers' Compensation Process

Mary G. Russell

Copyright © 2020 Mary G. Russell

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-64544-456-5 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-64544-457-2 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Acknowledgments

Over the years, I have worked with some remarkable people, and I have appreciated their support, knowledge, and professional wisdom. I dedicate this book to those I worked with on my workers’ compensation (aka: workers’ comp or WC) claims. The knowledge, experience and feedback I received inspired me to write this book. Thank you:

Bob and Rob, for your guidance and working with us to select the best WC broker and insurance company to match our needs and culture.

Kathy, for coining the phrase the gold standard of workers’ compensation. I felt it was only appropriate to use it for the title of this book.

John, for your support and expertise. Thanks for taking us to a Cubs versus Padres baseball game. Go Cubs!

Manny, for your generosity, tenacity, and follow-through with every claim.

Sara, no one can match your amazing spirit and go-getter approach to resolving issues.

Kristy, I did feel you were on my side as it related to claims.

Sue, for respecting our work.

Dr. Chan, for your professional and medical advice and guidance.

Josh, for managing our account with the utmost respect and care and total professionalism.

Jack, thanks for being a super lawyer and allowing me to offer input.

Rosanne (Republic), for staying on top of every claim and just being there.

Terry, for your support, guidance, and assistance with work. Thanks for being a friend.

To all the brokers, insurance companies and claims adjusters, whose names I don’t remember but I worked with in the past, thank you for sharing your knowledge in workers’ compensation.

Thank you, Nancy and Tamra. At one point, I commented to you both that I was your teacher, and you were my student(s). Now, you are my teachers and I’m your student, and I was okay with that switch. My learning was a result of the knowledge you gained in benefits and workers’ compensation. I’m proud of you both. Thanks for your dedication and support.

I’d like to thank my family: William (son), Vanessa, Charlene, Rose, William (Rose’s husband), Ms. Iveal, and the members of Altadena Baptist Church for your endless support, prayers, love, and blessings during the good and difficult times. I love you all!

Most importantly, I’d like to thank God who put this idea in my heart and showed me the way.

Love,

Mary G. (Nita)

Preface

Ihave had the privilege of working with Mary G. Russell for the last five years. Working with her in her position as chief human resources officer, I can personally attest to her honesty, integrity, compassion, and good moral character.

Professionally, she was ultimately responsible for managing workers’ compensation claims from the cradle to the grave. Her concern and compassion for the employees manifested itself in reduced frequency and reduced severity. Her communication to injured employees, brokers, adjusters, and underwriters set the gold standard for workers’ compensation claims. Her focus on safety and loss prevention, even though administered by another coworker, enabled the team to accomplish great results.

Kathy Mason,

President Mason Insurance Services

Introduction

As chief executive and human resources professional, you recognize that workers’ compensation (also known as workers’ comp) is an often complex, misunderstood, abused and sometimes a poorly managed process that costs your company hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars a year in premiums. That cost continues to rise. Knowing this, what are your plans to lower those expenses? Ask yourself the following questions:

Are your premiums increasing annually?

Is your experience modification rate high?

Are many of your claims litigated?

If the answers to these questions are not to your satisfaction, or you don’t know the answers at all, then it’s time for procedural changes. All too often, administrators (CFO, HR, Safety, or other) take the WC process for granted. By that I mean, they are not as involved as they could be. The premiums are what they are, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. But when the total cost for work related injuries for the year equal $90,000, and your premiums are $750,000, it’s time to take notice. When you discover that