Case study: masonry contractor
Comprehensive Workers' Compensation Program Cuts Claims Costs
Shopping for rates did not stop this contractor's premium from climbing. Controlling the injuries did.
Start a conversationThe Employer Success ProgramThe business
Masonry contractor with 30 employees and annual revenue over $3 million. The company builds residential brick walls, patios, sidewalks, floors and driveways.
The situation
In three years the company incurred $123,107 in injury claim losses. As a result, the owner saw her experience modification factor (mod) rise 50%, from 0.91 to 1.37.
What we found
The Risk Management and HR Assessment found the owner had been shopping for rates to save money on workers' comp instead of controlling the cost of work injuries. Even with all the shopping, premiums kept climbing. With no focus on what was causing the injuries, there was no written policy for handling employee injuries, safety or hiring.
What we did
We put in an indemnity review process that helps the employer decide when to self-pay indemnity costs. We also gave the employer an employee handbook that, among other things, spells out an injury reporting program requiring immediate notice of any injury. The handbook also lays out a return-to-work program that defines the light duty jobs, like inventory work, employees will do if they cannot do their regular jobs.
The result
0 claims
Injury claims filed since the program was put in place
Since then, the employer has not filed a claim for employee injury losses. Self-paying indemnity alone will save the company up to 70% of its total claims costs. The written reporting and return-to-work policies have cut the number of lost work days, and the clinic relationship keeps the employee, employer and medical provider informed about the employee's recovery and working toward a return to full duty.
Where the Employer Success Program comes in
It starts with a Diagnostic and Plan. We read your loss runs, your mod worksheet and your key contracts, and we talk with the people who run the work. You get the pattern behind your claims and a short list of what's worth fixing first.
From there our claims, HR, safety and fleet people work alongside yours, and you get a Score Card at the start and every year after, measured against your own starting point.
Start with a conversation
Tell me what's going on. I read these myself and reply within two business days. If there's nothing worth fixing, I'll tell you that too.