The workers’ compensation claims handling has been a repetitive nature of process and move on, follow the checklist for an audit, and close the claim. Process, and repeat. Go down the checklist and follow the pattern. Check, check, check. ***Abrasive vinal scratch to a halt.*** It is far beyond time to change the narrative and have the courage to be different. The workers’ compensation system is about PEOPLE. Restoring people…
From a very early age in life, we want to be acknowledged. We want to be seen and we want to be heard. As we grow older, we want to be appreciated, to be valued, to feel worthy. These are basic human elements to life and the human connection. The workers’ compensation space is no different. I have the amazing opportunity to be a Professor at Drake University. This past…
We all like the idea of our injured workers bragging about their experience with a TPA or an insurance carrier, especially when it creates a desired outcome for all parties. It makes an organization more reputable and (competitive advantage) provides a unique attribute one can market in this space. But does it really matter? Spoiler alert. It does. Injured workers want to be involved in their healing process. There is…
What we do matters. If you are reading this. YOU MATTER. Being in the workers’ compensation system is one of the most amazing gifts one can have because of the opportunity to impact human lives, families, communities, an industry, and make a difference. Each day, we have the ability to impact lives and change the trajectory of someone’s life. This is not limited to injured workers, we can also do…
Why is mindfulness so important? Your mindset determines you attitude. Your attitude determines your outlook on what is in front of you, what comes before you, and how you choose to interact with customers, colleagues, friends, family, and of course, injured workers. Taking a positive approach to your mindset through mindfulness practices can help foster a more empathic and customer centric approach. Even more so, this all begins and ends…
Look around in any industry, self-help arena, or in overall life improvement and you will find the topic of Mindfulness. There are books, apps, retreats, podcasts, pretty much any medium you can access covering this topic. In the workers’ compensation industry, we have started to see an influx in how to assist with injured workers and how to help ourselves. So what’s the hype and why does this matter? The…
The world needs us to stop being boring in workers’ compensation. We are on the horizon of 2023 and it is time to take a stand, make a change, and push ourselves to be better. We forget… boring is easy. It doesn’t challenge the status quo, it doesn’t speak up, and it doesn’t try to take on an industry filled with negativity. Boring is business as usual and we cannot…
The workers’ compensation industry has taken an interesting shift as we move into the post-pandemic and now more than ever, we need compassion. While working with injured workers can be stressful depending on the situation, add in the additional layer of stress on all sides, and we have a whole new ballgame to shine, helping those who are injured in our arena. Looking at things from a humanitarian approach is…
A few weeks ago, a thought-provoking thread occurred on LinkedIn about frustrations felt in the workers’ compensation process. This thread stemmed around people not exercising their power to help the injured worker. Injured workers should not need to obtain legal representation to recover from their injury timely, effectively, and efficiently. One common theme emerged: We need to do better in our industry. While many components flow through the workers’ compensation…
When people sustain injuries in a work environment, the physical body sustains an injury, and the emotional psyche does as well. There is an added strain from the incident occurring during work time or within the work-family. How do we in the workers’ compensation community assist injured workers in taking charge, increasing confidence, and helping with whatever comes their way? Many conversation topics can help injured workers develop skillsets needed…
