Employee absences, whether long-term or short-term can have a significant impact on your business operations. With the right strategies and partnerships, you can mitigate the impact of an employee absence on both your business and your employee. Positive return-to-work strategies are foundational for building a supportive work environment, maintaining operational continuity, and boosting employee engagement and resilience.
Disability Management Institute (DMI) team members are experts in building and facilitating return-to-work strategies. Here are DMI’s top tips for supporting employees during their recovery and return-to-work:
Understand your Benefits Plan
Most people are familiar with the most common features of their benefits plans but may not realize all the options that are available to them. Even if a benefit orientation was provided to an employee when they joined the plan, they likely forgot much of what was covered. Ensuring that you are knowledgeable about your company’s plan will help you ensure that your employees are able to access the support and resources available to them.
Ideally, when an employee reports an absence, the employer should schedule time to discuss the company’s procedures and expectations for their absence, while also reminding them of their benefits and how to use them. Services like DMI’s Early Intervention Program (EIP), the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), Medical Second Opinion Services, and more can have a profound impact on the support an employee receives and the trajectory of their recovery.
Partner with Providers
It can be difficult for employers to navigate showing care and support for employees on medical leave without an employee feeling overly pressured to return to work. There are limits to how much information you can ask for from an employee on leave, which can make it hard to know what support they need and what options can help their return. Partnering with a third-party provider like DMI can be a great strategy to help avoid these challenges and ensure that your employees receive optimal support.
DMI can gather detailed employee information to identify recovery strategies and utilize an in-house rehabilitation team for additional support, particularly for complex cases. DMI has robust experience and knowledge in respecting employee medical privacy, sharing limitations, restrictions, and return-to-work recommendations. This focuses your communication on maintaining connections with employees and frees time for daily business operations.
Be Open to Return-to-Work Options
The sooner employees return to work, even if not at full capacity, the better their outcomes, which positively impacts your business. If you are willing to be creative in coming up with options to help your employees return to the workplace, your flexibility will pay dividends.
It is a common misconception that accommodating employees will incur significant costs for businesses, most accommodation costs are under $500. There are also many additional options that have no direct costs. By understanding the job roles in your company and being flexible to make short-term adjustments for your employees, you can support them effectively and continue benefiting from their expertise.
Talk to an expert today!
DMI is committed to providing timely support and information to our clients. We have been working with employees and employers nationwide to provide comprehensive end-to-end solutions for their absence and disability management needs.
Interested in learning more about our services and how disability management services can support your company? Request a free review of your claims experience from a DMI expert to determine if you will benefit from DMI’s claims management services.