Skyrocketing Costs
Increasing Absenteeism
Lack of Internal Expertise
The decade or 2 of outsourcing disability management claims may be coming to an end. In the 1990’s, outsourcing was a trendy thing to do. However, today many organizations have decided that it is more economical to hire an internal disability manager. This may be true in the short term but unless you have sufficiently invested in the training of this person, despite what they may write on their resume, the illusion of saving dollars is just that – an illusion.
Disability costs and absenteeism rates continue to escalate, despite this shift back to internal resources. The reasons they continue to rise are multi-faceted, however, I believe many of the gaps can be addressed with the right professionals managing your claims. If you can’t afford an outsourced disability management company, consider hiring a Disability Management Coach for your team to increase your return on investment (ROI). Thousands and thousands of dollars could be contained within your organization with a coach to further evolve the skills of your team.
The coach is a sound financial investment with
long-term financial returns.
According to Tony Robbins, Author, Entrepreneur and Life Coach, he describes a Coach as:
“The ability to lead — to make things happen, maximize resources and inspire. And it’s the skill and talent to influence and guide others to make
real breakthroughs and create lasting change.”
Great coaches see things as they are, not worse than they are. They have the proper skills and knowledge to assess the situation and find the best path to move forward.
Great coaches also have vision. They can see things better than they are and help others to share in that idea. They can create movement that inspires others, so that they roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to get the job done. It goes well beyond directing activity, as a great coach will define the future and make it real and attainable for others.
Great coaches also understand strategy. They realize that transforming a vision into reality requires incremental changes that amount to radical results. It’s not always about the resources available, it’s knowing how to maximize resources — someone’s will, energy, creativity, courage, faith and determination — to achieve goals.”
As an organization you want your Disability Management Coach to strategize, maximize and realize Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in your disability management program. If you don’t have a plan as to where you want to go, chances are, you aren’t getting there. Consider the return on investment you can achieve with dedicated coaching. The financial investment you spend on developing your disability managers and/or occupational health team solidifies one approach to reducing absenteeism and the associated costs.
Suggested KPIs should include the following:
- Escalating Costs – statistics and cost analysis between attendance management and disability claims.
- Absenteeism on the Increase – what is the effectiveness of your modified work program?
- What is your cost savings formula to determine your efficiencies?
- Return on Investment calculations between your hired staff and results for their efforts.
- Union assistance – how do you ask the union to be accountable in the disability management process? How do you track this?
- Medical documentation – what are your expectations when it comes to documentation? What are your efficiencies in this area?
- Prevention measures – have you identified them? Are they in place or is your disability management program reactive in nature?
It’s time to enhance the skills of your disability team to contain corporate costs and assist your employees to stay at work. Otherwise, you are just pushing paperwork – and anyone can do that.
Summary
As a Disability Management Coach, expertise should involve strategies regarding the above criteria and so much more – working with unions, understanding that doctors don’t keep your employees off work – you do, and prevention – the ultimate key to disability management. We have the capacity to see everything from a broad perspective versus looking at one claim at a time. As a Coach, we see how each claim, each lost day, and each dollar spent affects the overall end results BEFORE it happens. With millions and millions of dollars spent on absenteeism, spending a few more dollars to retrieve some of those dollars is well worth your investment.
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Lucie M.H. Fournier RN, COHN(C), BA (Psych)
Founder/Workplace Health Strategist
lucie@fournierhealth.com
Expertise in 6 distinct niches including:
1. Advanced level training for internal claims manager to MAXIMIZE cost containment
2. Corporate and Transformational Coaching
3. Sensitive claims management of professional staff, such as HR, health team, and/or executives such as supervisors, managers, directors
4. Complex claims management resolution
5. Mental health claim return to work & accommodations
6. Transitional Leadership when moving to & from a 3rd party disAbility management company
We service clients across Ontario in all types of employers – large or small. We provide a customized approach to your business because we, and you, are different than the company down the road. A cookie cutter approach is NOT our specialty; nor our interest! We enjoy keeping the humanity in disability management while assertively managing your claims and costs. Feel free to call if you want to examine a long-term approach that is unique to you and your employees.
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