A strategic approach to workers comp helps cut costs

As the economy slowly continues to turn, small business owners across the country remain concerned about controlling costs and minimizing risks. Now more than ever, small business decision-makers must continuously evaluate cost structures and work to enhance operational efficiencies amid a series of ongoing challenges: limited access to credit and loans, increasing costs, changes in healthcare legislation and economic uncertainty. These are issues small businesses have very little control over. But even during these challenging times, there are steps small business owners can take to control costs, which can help drive growth in the long-term.

Some commonly overlooked costs impacting the nation's small businesses are those associated with workers' compensation insurance, which is often misunderstood and frequently thought of in the same terms as other insurance products. With workers' compensation, there are areas where significant cost savings can be realized, for example by improving workplace safety or identifying and preventing fraud.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration estimates direct workers' compensation costs alone run nearly $1 billion per week, which include workers' compensation payments, medical expenses and costs for legal services. Whether direct or indirect, businesses ultimately bear the brunt of these costs in the form of increased insurance rates, rising premiums and productivity losses. Not just a financial burden on big businesses, this issue significantly impacts America's small businesses considering the U.S. Small Business Administration estimates there are 29.6 million small businesses, which employ more than half of the country's private sector workforce.

It is critical that business owners understand that a strategic approach to workers' compensation is just as important to cost savings as smart tax planning. Small businesses should maintain a long-term workers' compensation perspective focused on value, not just lowest cost. They should be sure they have access to resources and value-added services that both protect their businesses today and also position them to potentially lower their workers' compensation rates in the future. Taking a closer look at workers' compensation can actually help small businesses not only better manage their risk, but also effectively manage costs, which is just smart business no matter what the economic climate. By taking proactive, common sense measures toward workplace safety, small business owners may greatly reduce their risk of workplace injury-related costs.

Heading into the fourth quarter, signs of economic recovery continue to emerge. Yet many small business owners remain uncertain about how various new legislative policies will affect their cost structures. Regardless of the rate of economic recovery or pending legislative policy, small businesses should focus their energy on the variables they can control. Taking a smart, informed approach to workers' compensation insurance not only will protect valued employees and minimize risk for the long term, it also protects small businesses from taking on new costs at a time of economic uncertainty when they are most vulnerable.

Hale Johnston is senior vice president and western regional manager for Reno-based Employers, a workers compensation carrier.

Questions to ask about worker's comp coverage

1. What accident prevention or other value-added services do I

receive from my carrier with my workers' compensation insurance

coverage?

2. Does my workers' compensation carrier have sufficient experience

in my industry?

3. Are there workplace safety, accident investigation and fraud

prevention tools available to easily implement in my business?

4. Does my carrier offer access to an online safety library that I can

use to build my own safety program?

5. Is my carrier financially strong and dedicated to remaining in my

state's insurance marketplace?

6. Can I get a flexible payment plan from my workers' compensation

carrier?

7. How fairly and efficiently does my workers' compensation

insurance carrier handle claims?

8. Does my carrier offer a medical provider network that can help me

manage the medical costs associated with an injured worker's claim?

9. Does my workers' compensation insurer have multi-state

capabilities to service my growing business?