Disability-Prevention is Better than Management

Jennifer Christian, M.D. and a host of other Occ Med physicians have just published a pretty interesting whitepaper on the non-medical causes of disability along with a number of recommendations and best-practices. You can access the paper here: http://www.webility.md/pdfs/SAW-RTW-White-Paper-2006-04-12.pdf .

If you've ever dealt with a situation involving extended time away from work, the factors discussed in the paper will probably hit close to home. The paper also reveals some startling statistics: one company reported that the odds of a person never returning to work after an absence were 50-50 after three months of absence.

It is very clear from the research that companies that do not employ transitional duty and require employees to return from their absences with no medical restrictions will incur much more "disability" time than those that do. And for every person not at work, there is a significant risk they will never return.

While the whitepaper discusses some issues that are directed more towards insurance companies, legislators, and the medical community-it is a worthwhile read for those at the plant level who deal with people losing time. You will find there are several things that are easily done at the local level to help and support the injured or ill employee that will improve the chances of a successful return to work.