By Donna Motley, Vice President of Claims

By the time you are reading this, it is hoped that we are slowly getting back to “normal”, or at least our regular routine. The last couple of months have seen some employers reduce staff, temporarily shut down and/or even close their doors permanently. Once everyone is able to return to work, will everyone still have a job? Will business increase to make up for the lost time and revenue? It is anyone’s guess.

For businesses that temporarily shut down, please realize your employees, for the most part, have not been active for approximately three to six weeks. It doesn’t take very long for muscles to relax and become soft, or, as we age, start to “waste”. And even if your employees tried to maintain a regular physical routine while out of work, were they utilizing the same muscles that they would use at work? Performing the same physical actions/functions? Unlikely. You’ve heard of the “Quarantine 15”?

My hope is that upon doors reopening, there will be an urgent need to fill work orders, or manufacture said parts. If that is the case, keep in mind, at any time, a heavier work load lends itself to: Distractions, Hurrying, Possibly by-passing safety protocol. Now add the fact that the employee has not worked at said job for an extended period of time. As an employer, will you have to hire new personnel? In haste to get production rolling, don’t forget about training practices, even a review of same for long term employees. Also, remember, recreational marijuana is legal now – what about drug screens?

Have your machines or equipment been sitting idle for a while as well? If, in addition to reviewing safety procedures and protocol, all equipment should probably be inspected and repaired if necessary. Maybe perform a “pre-operation” cycling to make sure the machine is in proper working order. Update all machinery maintenance. Perform up-grades, if possible, where necessary. Inspect your building, inside and outside. Check for any storm damage, leaks, vandalism, etc. Start fresh!

Understand your employees, even if working during the State shut-down, have not had to deal with a congested morning commute; returning to heavy traffic will be a stressful start to their day. Whether employees have been working or not working during this time, EVERYONE has had added stress put upon them. Worries about work, money, health and safety of those near and afar, has added stress. As everyone is aware, a simple trip to the grocery store has been extremely stressful – simply trying to buy necessities of life has added an extreme amount of stress.

Employees that have been considered “essential” and have worked during the shut-down may be experiencing “burnout” in addition to all the above stressors.

Injured workers have had the above stressors, plus the stress of trying to heal and rehabilitate so they are able to return to work as soon as possible. During this time, our department has utilized “telemedicine” and “tele-rehab” when possible. In other cases, some doctors are not seeing patients and understandably, some injured workers do not want to go to the doctor’s office. Consequently, healing from the injury and returning to work may be delayed.

Now is a good time to review your policies and procedures. Are there changes you can make at your facility to reduce an employee’s potential exposure to risks such as a pandemic? In the interim, we should probably continue to follow Federal, State and CDC guidelines. Are you able to keep masks, gloves and disinfectant available for all employees? Do customers and/or visitors enter your facility? Do you have sales, marketing, delivery personnel and/or technicians in the field that also need protection? Realize employees with co-morbidities have higher health risks.

Don’t be afraid to discuss current conditions with your employees; ask for suggestions. Hopefully, with a conscientious return to work plan, injuries will be avoided.