The Right Approach to Disability Can Deliver 4 Big Gains

Does your organization have a formal stay-at-work or return-to-work program? If not, setting one up could deliver four big gains.

Our research shows that companies with these programs enjoy lower absenteeism, higher productivity, improved morale and better employee retention.¹

Results from our study also suggest that working with a carrier specializing in disability management can make your programs more successful. If you don’t have a stay-at-work or return-to-work program in place, an experienced carrier can help you build one.¹

A closer look at the four benefits yields some interesting insights.

Absenteeism Goes Down

When an employee is frequently not at work, we call it absenteeism. An effective stay-at-work program with the right disability carrier can show you how to identify employees who need support. It will also help you coach managers on how to spot those who could benefit from help. Why does early identification and outreach matter? Taking a proactive approach can keep employees on the job and receiving their full paycheck. It can also ensure they seek treatment for health conditions before they lead to claims.

This case study shows how The Standard helped a customer decrease long term disability claims by 38%, achieving $5.8 million in plan savings.

Productivity Goes Up

One major driver of lost productivity is presenteeism. Presenteeism describes an employee who’s coming to work but not fully functioning in their job because of an illness, injury or other condition.

Presenteeism isn’t cheap. Its total cost in the U.S. is estimated to be more than $1,500 billion a year.² There are ways to counteract presenteeism. You can partner with a disability insurance carrier, coordinate help through existing resources and try outside-the-box accommodations.

Read this Workplace Possibilities^SM blog post to learn about these tactics in more detail.

Morale Improves

Over 30% of employers with formal disability management programs report better workplace morale.¹ Accommodations that succeed in relieving an employee’s condition tend to be simple to understand. The key is approaching their condition — and situation — with compassion. That takes understanding what’s going on with their health and in their life. Adopting this mindset can help you provide accommodations that make employees feel more supported and appreciated.

Employee Retention Grows

Skillful disability management may have a positive impact on hiring and keeping talent. Employers with formal programs reported greater success in boosting employee engagement and controlling costs. Among employers with formal disability programs, 37% saw higher employee retention.¹

Higher retention comes with some real plusses. It can reduce the need to recruit new employees. And, keeping the employees you’ve worked so hard to win can help you realize your company’s vision.

You can find more details about using disability management to improve talent retention in this Workplace Possibilities blog post.

The Right Disability Carrier Can Get You There

Creating a disability program is only one part of the equation. The right disability carrier can coordinate all your benefit resources, so employees have a full range of support. That might mean helping employees navigate the health care system through referrals to disease management. Your carrier could also connect employees to a wellness or Employee Assistance Program.

Your carrier should be able to help you skillfully manage requests for accommodations. Taking advantage of that expertise can be good way to ensure you’re complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act and other laws.

It’s hard to see a downside to building a formal disability program. Lower absenteeism, higher productivity, improved morale and better employee retention can go a long way to helping you accomplish your company’s goals.

To find more tips, best practices and success stories related to disability management — check out our Workplace Possibilities Blog.

For more information on how The Standard approaches disability management, check out Workplace Possibilities.