By Donna Motley, Vice President of Claims

Summer is over, schools are back in session and hopefully, more people are returning to work. Everyone is aware of the “worker” shortage. Employers are placing signs outside their establishment seeking candidates. Some fast food restaurants have limited their hours of operation and some only operate the drive through window.

Advertised are: sign-on bonuses, paid college tuition, health care benefits, etc. Now that recreational marijuana has been legalized, prospective employees have one less hurdle to worry about. I just can’t imagine being on lay-off status and not looking for work.

Claims are still being received in our department. Slowly, I’m seeing more claims where the employee’s date of hire is within the last couple of months or at the beginning of 2021. This is a reminder to please educate and train the new hires! Not just concerning their job duties and tasks, but also concerning proper procedures. Specifically, late reporting of an injury will result in intensive investigation by our department and delayed treatment. Make sure your employees are aware that work injuries are to be treated at your Occupational Clinic. All employers in the Metropolitan area should have a close working relationship with an Occupational Clinic. In areas that are more rural, an Urgent Care will suffice. However, treating at an Urgent Care instead of the appropriate Occupational Clinic will delay the process. An Emergency Room should only be utilized for “emergencies”. (With COVID still active, an emergency room should be the last place you go unless you really require emergency treatment.) Typically, emergency rooms only stabilize the patient and refer them to a primary care physician. Those seeking “prescription medicine” are out of luck as most emergency rooms will no longer prescribe opiates. If an opiate is given, it is only one or two pills – enough to cover the injured until they see a treating physician.

Remind all employees, once they are seen at any medical facility, the employee is required to provide the employer with a disability slip. An injured worker can only stay off work if a physician indicated total disability, OR if restrictions were imposed and the employer cannot accommodate said restrictions. If an employee returns to work following an injury and complains of “pain” – that does not mean the employee is “disabled”. People work with pain all the time. Physical therapy will tell you, “you have to work through the pain”. If an injured worker makes the decision to leave work due to pain, and does not have a disability slip taking them off work, wage loss benefits will be denied.

As the employer, remember to keep in contact with the MTMIC Claims Department. We need to know if an employee is: off work; walks off the job; is absent when they are supposed to be at work; seeks medical treatment outside of the employer’s Occupational Clinic; resigns; AND when the employee returns to work – with OR without restrictions. As the employer, please forward to our attention, ALL medical documentation you receive; any bills you receive; any inquiries you receive about medical authorization or medical treatment of the injured worker. Absolutely contact us with any concerns you may have regarding; the incident in question (i.e. “how” the injury allegedly occurred), the injured worker, the medical treatment and/or the employee’s recovery. Chances are, if you have a question – WE DO TOO !

Remember, it is not the injured worker’s decision whether or not they want to seek medical treatment. As an employer, you have an obligation to send an injured worker for medical care when you are aware of an injury. Simple lacerations easily turn into cellulitis!

Feel free to call our office any time, with any question or concern; anyone in our department can help you or direct you to the appropriate personnel. The earlier we can start working on a claim, the quicker and hopefully, more successful, the recovery.