Workers' Comp insurance is a huge expense for most industrial employers and many are looking to reduce the high premiums they pay. As you know, Workers' Compensation is a necessary benefit to provide for employees when accidents do occur and employees suffer serious injuries. But there are ways you can reduce the number of injury claims you have and lower your policy premiums — and at the same time keep your workers happy, healthy, and even attract new talent.

Prior to March, 2020, the world and how we communicated was much different. All our work meetings were face to face. Salespeople traveled to cities to meet with prospective companies. Everyone climbed into the car to go visit the grandparents. We scheduled visits with our doctor and waited for hours a long time in the waiting room. But the pandemic changed much of that. 

Calvin Johnson, a 2021 NFL Hall of Fame Inductee, gave his speech on Sunday in Canton, Ohio, last night where he talked about the reason he gave up football while still in his prime. Shockingly, after coming off a great final season, he retired after only 9 years, when he was 30 years old. He states that he gave up the sport because of a persistent injury that dated back to his very first season a professional. 

Change can be scary for many people. Something new means a disruption in their lives. They fear they will have to learn something — and learning is never really easy — or that they won't understand it and they'll fall behind. Even worse, they think the new tech will replace them. So how do you get your employees to use new technology? 

Telehealth has been around a while but it wasn't until the pandemic hit that people clamored for video chats with their healthcare professionals. Telehealth is, for most, an alternative to seeing their primary care physician in their office — mostly for people who cannot travel or live too far away. Most insurance companies now offer telehealth as a benefit, giving employees more options for their healthcare. But what about using telehealth for other purposes than a medical consultation with your primary care physician?  

2020 Workplace Injury Statistics
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries & Illnesses report (published on Nov. 2020) the total injuries per 100 full-time workers remained unchanged at 2.8. 

Your company has employees working long hours, while doing physically challenging work that requires repetition and heavy lifting.  Sounds a bit like an athlete working hard to win the game, doesn't it?

A recent NetSuite article for CFOs — titled "5 Unexpected (and Painless) Ways to Cut Expenses" — contained an interesting survey, as well as useful advice, on how companies can conserve cash.

Does your industrial company use a nursing hotline to deal with workplace injuries? 

Quite a lot, apparently.