Many companies perform annual performance reviews of their employees, but a far fewer number, it seems, perform annual reviews of their policy and procedure. And this is unfortunate – especially in a world where legislation, technology and best practices often change at a rapid pace. 

Serious issues like violence in the workplace, harassment policies and disability management policies should all be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that they are up to date with the latest industry standards. 

Disability management in particular needs to be examined, not only for compliance, but how well the company has fared over the last year in managing disability claims and in helping employees through the back-to-work process. 

Here are our five reasons why conducting a strategic annual review of your disability management policies are so important.  

1. It lets you determine if your policies are in line with current realities.  

For example, more and more people are now using medical marijuana and legalized recreational cannabis is expected to be a reality come this fall. Employers should address realities such as these before they are confronted with them in the workplace.

2. It helps you ensure your company is attending to the needs of injured workers while still protecting its bottom line.

Absenteeism due to worker injury can be extremely costly for a business. Company policy should do its best to mitigate this risk first by ensuring they are taking adequate health and safety measures to prevent injury and second, by ensuring that they are providing a good support system to injured employees with an effective return-to-work program. 

3. It measures the effectiveness of the communication between injured workers and management.

It is said that if communication breaks down, it can cause everything else to break down. An effective communication plan which includes checking in on an injured worker or asking how the company can accommodate an employee who has recently returned to work after an injury is a vital part of your disability management strategy. 

4. It is an opportunity for you to get buy-in from both management and your union. 

It will be difficult for any company to roll out a disability management program if those in your company do not understand its importance. Having training sessions for both management and union members is a great way for you to emphasize the importance of having such as plan and help you to get buy-in from all parties. 

5. It lets you know whether the practice of your company aligns with its policies. 

Finally, it is important to review actual disability management cases within your company to determine whether policies are actually being adhered to. It is one thing to have a formal policy written on paper, but that means very little if your company does not follow it. 

Conducting a strategic annual review of your disability management policies can seem like a daunting task, but doing so is important to ensure both the well-being of your employees as well as your company’s profitability. Fortunately, such a review is not something you have to do on your own. If you would like expert help in conducting a strategic annual review, give TeksMed a call today. We would be happy to assist!