When an Employee is injured on the job, the long-term fallout can be intense for both the worker and their employer.

For the injured party, missed time from work, pain and suffering, and the financial ramifications can be significant. In most cases they are eager to heal and get back to work, but of course want to do so safely.

For Employers, Workers’ Compensation claims can become expensive. If an auto insurance policy is involved, rising premiums can add to the cost. And on top of that, lost productivity and declining Employee morale can multiply the effects of a single event. Employers also feel motivated to get the injured party back to work as soon as possible, but want to do so safely.

The last thing either party wants is a recurrence of the injury! Yet, the return-to-work process involves a maze of decisions, potential liabilities, and personal concerns.

And that’s why Industrial Therapists have become so critical to this process. The KEY Assessment Methodology utilizes 85 data points to determine the level of effort and participation demonstrated by Employees, answering vital questions such as:

• Is this worker overexerting themselves?
• What do we do about this worker with chronic pain?
• Can this worker perform at previous levels, and if not, what can we do about that?
• Why does this employee re-injure themselves upon returning to work each time?

It is critically important for all decision makers in the Return-to-Work process, such as physicians, attorneys, insurers, the employer, and the employee, to have access to reliable data regarding the Employee’s functioning. The assessment works as a “lie detector test” for the body, allowing the Employee’s true functional capacity to be identified and described.

Then, the team can put together a comprehensive Return-to-Work plan. After identifying the Employee’s capabilities and limitations, they can either return to their prior job duties or a strategy for accommodations can be made.

Flexible accommodations at all stages of recovery allows for the Employee to return to work when ready, but not before they are ready to do so safely. Therefore the Employer and Insurers can feel assured that claims are accurate and fair, but not overextended beyond the point of necessity. Perhaps most importantly, the assessment can accurately predict whether a worker is at risk of re-injury, so that all parties can work together to avoid a compounding (and expensive) problem.