Human resources (HR) is essential to an employer’s workers’ comp survival. The human resources department is the hub for safety knowledge and training. And it serves as a neutral arbiter between employees and management.
Employers look to HR to make sure they hire and retain the right people and to make sure they shed problem employees in the right way. Bad hiring decisions can lead to drug problems, attendance issues, violence in the workplace, and a hostile work environment, which can all impact workers’ comp.
A dedicated HR employee helps with compliance consistency, fosters an open door policy, and helps with day-to-day employee relations. Internal HR professionals know the company’s safety concerns, the clinics to call in case of accidents/injuries, and exactly where to send workers’ comp paperwork quickly.
But when state and federal laws change so rapidly, outsourcing is a smart move. Hiring a dedicated HR professional organization means having a group of experts on speed dial that know various industries and can coach employers to handle problematic employee situations and other complex HR issues better.
Either way, employers need to make sure the HR staff they hire are up to the task in the changing and challenging workers’ comp arena.
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