Social factors can negatively affect workers’ compensation and harm their ability to reenter the workforce. When a worker suffers an injury while performing their job tasks, you, as a business owner, need to know the social factors that impact the workers’ comp insurance. These social factors, also called “social determinants of health” or SDOH, pose obstacles to a quick return to work.
Social Factors Can Affect Workers’ Compensation
What social factors can cause this to happen? Well, there are a few that can affect this.
Unhealthy Home Environment
People living in an unhealthy or unstable home environment are more likely to get injured at work or have a more challenging time recovering after the work injury occurs.
When employees are in “flight-or-fight” mode at home, their physical health can be affected, too. Likewise, unhealthy levels of cortisol in the body lead to inflammation and, as a result, to a longer recovery process. It leads to the employee postponing their return to work.
Homelessness
Employees who suffer an injury at work could risk losing their homes if they cannot pay rent. Therefore, a person on the verge of homelessness or, worse, living in an unstable housing arrangement focuses more on the loss of their apartment than on the conditions of their workers’ comp insurance. That means they’ll not be in the mindset required to heal from the injury and return to work.
As a business owner, you’ll need to remember that homeless workers who suffer an injury at work take more time to recover. What they do outside work is an essential part of recovery.
Education
Debra Livingston, CEO at ReEmployability Inc., believes that the worker’s holistic recovery leads to shorter claim durations. Likewise, if someone helps the employee overcome their injury and the recovery process goes smoothly, they’ll return to work on time. Livingston adds some workers take longer to get better because they miss doctor’s appointments or refuse to take medication. Subsequently, they may not understand that they need to cooperate with their doctor for their health to improve.
As a business owner, you need to ask questions to determine the reason behind an inability to communicate or a refusal to get treatment. Some reasons may be related to fears or limiting beliefs regarding their health or body, possibly learned from their families. Other reasons might be environmental. For example, some mothers might lack help with childcare.
Workers that postpone their return to work can affect their workers’ comp insurance adversely. Thus, if you look deeply at an injured workers’ situation and understand what’s going on in their lives, you can help them access resources that benefit them long-term. These resources can be a disability or social security support which can help them tremendously.
The bottom line is that knowing the social factors affecting workers’ comp insurance is vital in helping the worker return to work safely. As a business owner, it’s essential to treat the employee as a whole person whose private life and circumstances can shorten or lengthen their recovery.
About InsureMyWorkComp
InsureMyWorkComp is a digital brokerage that helps clients find the right workers’ compensation solution for their business needs. Unlike other online platforms, we will help you to work with an agent who can provide you the right solution for your risk profile. Our staff has over 50 years of workers’ compensation underwriting and sales experience, and we are confident that we will provide you the support that you need. For more information or to get a quote, contact us today at (855) 340-9138.