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...to get well, and employees staying home leads to higher reserves that are expe...e same protection to those working at home as those working in the office. Mor...

... cases, injured workers have returned to transitional jobs, only to be laid off for reasons unrelated to the injury. Faced with few job prospects, the employees have little incentive to get well. In fact, there's a disincentive to get well, and employees staying home leads to higher reserves that are expensive for the employer to support. Dr. Richard Pimentel, a national expert on disability management, notes that the savings of turning an indemnity claim into a medical-only claim can be significant; 20 percent of lost time from work ... to postulate that healthy workers are less prone to injury and, once injured, recover more quickly than their out-of-shape co-workers, corporate silos have typically separated risk management departments from benefits management. New research, an aging workforce, court cases, tight budgets and anxiety over healthcare reform are causing employers to recognize the relationship between safety and wellness. The recent Obesity 2010 NCCI Research Brief confirms that work-related injuries are far more costly and more likely to result in permanent disabilities if the injured worker is obese. Court rulings have required weight reduction ... Longer. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) notes that Workers Compensation payers are funding temporary total disability benefits longer. NCCI Director John Robertson attributes this to economic conditions, including fewer return-to-work opportunities. The benefits of employee retention and reduced costs of a return-to-work program are valid regardless of economic conditions. However, the recession has made it difficult for some to place injured workers in transitional positions when the company is laying others off. In other cases, injured workers have returned to transitional jobs, only to be laid off ...