The cumulative effects of poor writing by insurance professionals include wasted time, duplicated effort, poor morale, a negative company image, and the potential for embarrassment. Gary Blake offers tips for improving your letters and memos.
Although they share many writing problems with their peers in other P/C lines, Workers Comp professionals have several special issues they need to recognize and overcome. During the past six months, I’ve reviewed more than 400 writing samples sent by Workers Compensation employees who’ve either volunteered — or been volunteered — to attend my one-day writing seminar.
A review of these documents reveals these four 'short-term disabilities':
ABBREVIATION OVERKILL
STD and LTD (short-term disability, and long-term disability) are two of the dozens of acronyms you’ll find strewing Workers Comp documents. This is fine as long as the reader understands what these acronyms stand for. Although they might work for Activity Notes (memos to the file), those who can’t translate acronyms will need an explanation.
Do you know what BOP, COE, C&R, ERTW, HH, MMI, PPD, and PTD mean? These are among the four single-spaced pages of abbreviations and acronyms used in a single company’s Workers Comp department.
The solution: Spell out the term the first time you use it. For example, 'Course of Employment' (COE).
CAPITALIZATION MANIA
Some companies’ computer systems default to ALL CAPITALS for Activity Notes. This might help readers with writing problems because the caps can disguise run-on sentences and other writing ills — but it’s wearying to read. Throw in a few long paragraphs and a tendency on the part of some Workers Comp people to avoid pronouns and articles, and you’ve created a serious problem that slows claims handling.
The solution: Use upper- and lower-case letters.
MISUSE OF BOLDFACE AND ASTERISKS
Many Workers Comp documents misuse boldface and asterisks for emphasis. One letter from a claims person requested that a physician ask the patient certain questions, including, 'Have you worked in ***ANY*** capacity since your injury?' If the doctor didn’t get the message with the caps and the boldface type, they’ll surely get it from those desk-pounding asterisks!
FORMALITY FEVER
Workers Comp professionals often believe that 'professional' writing means 'writing with formal, pompous, and stodgy phrases.' Writers show their professionalism by using plain English. In a single letter to a physician confirming a claimant’s medical exam, I saw these problems (my solutions are italicized):
- The 'above employer' (Name the employer)
- 'Please allow this letter to confirm …' (This letter confirms …)
- 'Enclosed please find …' '(I’ve enclosed …')
- 'The undersigned.'('I')
The letter also included a number of the usual suspects: 'as per,' 'pursuant to,' 'in regards to,' 'please be advised,' 'should you have any questions …'and 'aforementioned.' (Purge these ruthlessly)
After reviewing denials of claims, letters to attorneys, reinsurance companies, claimants and employers, internal memos, and requests for medical opinions, I rarely find a document with fewer than 10 writing problems or mistakes per page.
Phrasing your thoughts well is well worth a challenging effort.
As you review your staff or your own work, follow these guidelines:
- Avoid vagueness: For example, replace, 'What do you do on a daily basis?' with 'Describe every activity you engage in during a typical day (e.g., take a shower, shave, make breakfast, etc.)'
- Spell out dates: Not '1/2/01' but January 2, 2001.
- Indent the information within the RE line, as well as the category itself.
- Avoid 'and/or.'
- Avoid 'Dear Sir or Madam.'
- Use 'Sincerely' as a close, instead of 'Sincerely yours.'
- Check spelling (for example, 'healed,' not 'heeled').
- Put commas after introductory clauses.
- Write 'Claim Number' not, 'Claim #.'
- Avoid the presumptuous: 'Thank you in advance for your cooperation.'
If you aren’t happy with the style of your documents, institute some writing training or create a department style guide. These are just a few ways to make sure that your letters are an STD, rather than an LTD.