The ever-changing COVID-19 protocols can be very confusing, especially in regards to workers’ compensation benefits. As an employer, it is imperative to understand the laws in place in order to properly navigate employee’s rights.

Under normal circumstances, it is very difficult for an employee to file a workers’ compensation claim and receive benefits for an infectious disease, especially one that is widespread in the community. But state laws passed in response to the pandemic have made it easier to qualify.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life and work as we know it. It has been a period marked by rapid, ongoing change for many organizations. As employers begin to lift their pandemic-related safety requirements, they should also note the ongoing obligations to protect the health and safety of their employees and support their expectations of a post-COVID “new normal.” As businesses come surging back, management teams are responsible for leading their companies through these fast-moving changes.

Ergonomics is the study of people in their working environment and modifying the work to fit the worker, not the other way around. The goal as an employer is to optimize an environment to eliminate discomfort and risk of injury due to work. A workplace ergonomics assessment and improvement process removes risk factors that can lead to injury and allows for improved performance and productivity.

Telemedicine has been used for decades to improve access to care while simultaneously cutting costs. It holds real potential for reducing an injured employee’s time away from work while increasing the speed in which an injury can be evaluated. Convenient access to healthcare services both during and after the current COVID-19 pandemic is essential in order to evaluate and return an injured worker to the workplace in the shortest amount of time possible.

The Work Status Report (WSR) serves as an injured employee’s report card from their doctor. It advises the employer if/when the medical provider does not believe the injured employee can do any work in their current medical status or requires workplace accommodations in a restricted capacity. Proactive employers should require a WSR from an injured employee after every medical appointment, as this information encourages a reasonable return to work and holds everyone accountable.