Why return to work matters

There are many reasons why return to work matters for both employers and employees.

For employers, the benefits include the potential to lessen impacts on future premiums, reduce costs for lost-time claims and lessen the likelihood of litigation. Just as importantly, it helps maintain a connection and good working relationship with your employees during times of uncertainty following an injury.

At the same time, return to work also benefits the employee. The longer an employee remains away from the job following a workplace injury, the less likely it becomes that the employee will ever return to work. Even if injured employees can’t return to their regular jobs right away, bringing them back as soon as possible by providing transitional or light-duty work helps them:

  • Recover faster
  • Stay in the routine of working
  • Feel productive
  • Maintain workplace relationships

Below, we outline the reasons why return to work matters — including the effect on claims — and how to establish your own return-to-work program.

Past workers’ compensation claims affect future premiums

You probably know that your loss history is taken into account when calculating your workers’ compensation premium, but you may not know exactly how it works.

Your state’s workers’ compensation data collection organization calculates an experience modification factor (e-mod) for each employer that meets state-specific qualification requirements.

If your loss history is average for your class and size of business, your e-mod will be 1.00. If it’s better than average, it will be less than one. Because your e-mod is used as a multiplier when calculating your premium, a better-than-average e-mod will generally lower your premium.

For more details on this process, see our CompTalk on e-mods and read our blog, How your workers’ compensation e-mod is calculated.

Preventing lost-time claims pays off

When calculating an e-mod, not all claim costs are treated equally.

If a claim remains medical-only, meaning the injured worker does not receive wage-replacement (also called lost-time) benefits, claim costs are discounted by 70 percent.

To keep a claim medical-only, you must bring the employee back to work before your state’s waiting period ends. For example, waiting periods in these states are:

  • Three days in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin
  • Seven days in Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Indiana and Tennessee

Split-point increases make return-to-work more important

The split point — used in the e-mod formula for workers’ compensation — is the dollar level at which each claim is divided into two parts:

  • Primary (the cost of each claim incurred below the split point)
  • Excess (the cost of each claim incurred above the split point)

When total costs for an individual claim rise above a split point that’s set by each state annually, those costs are also discounted for the purposes of calculating your e-mod.

The split point ranges from $17,500 to $29,500 in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota.

Example: How return-to-work impacts future premium

If you can bring an employee back to work before the waiting period ends, the impact of the claim on your e-mod and future workers’ compensation premiums will be significantly less.

Here’s an example:

Consider two assisted living facilities, each with about a dozen employees and currently paying about $23,000 in workers’ compensation premium.

A certified nursing assistant at the first facility slips and falls while working. Her medical bills total $7,500, but she is able to start doing light-duty work filing and answering phones before the state’s waiting period ends, so the claim remains medical-only.

At the second facility, another nursing assistant has a similar accident, but her employer does not provide light-duty work, and she ends up receiving some workers’ compensation benefits for lost pay. The combined cost for her medical expenses and lost-time compensation total $7,500.

Although the total cost for both claims is the same, the impact on their respective workers’ compensation costs are very different — only 30 percent of the medical-only claim impacts the employer’s e-mod, compared with 100 percent of the lost-time claim.

What does this mean for these employers’ work comp premiums? The claim that remained medical-only would cost the employer $2,850 over three years in terms of increased premium. In comparison, the lost-time claim would cost the employer $9,494 over three years.

How to start a return-to-work program

If you don’t have a return-to-work program already, follow these four steps to start one:

1. Draft your policy

Tell all of your staff ahead of time that your company intends to bring injured employees back to work as soon as they’re medically able, and will provide adaptations or light-duty work when needed. For guidance, see SFM’s sample return-to-work program.

2. Appoint a claims coordinator

This is an individual tasked with overseeing workers’ compensation claims and return to work. Have this person develop a plan for reporting injuries and communicate it to supervisors and employees.

Having step-by-step instruction sheets around also helps the process. For more details, see SFM’s CompTalk on claims coordinator duties.

3. Select a primary care clinic

Establish a good working relationship with a local clinic where the physicians understand occupational medicine and return-to-work.

If possible, meet with doctors at your preferred clinic to give them an overview of your organization and tell them you are committed to returning employees to work as soon as they are medically able. Suggest that your employees go there if they’re injured.

Note that in most states, employees have the right to choose where to have their injuries treated.

4. Identify transitional jobs

Transitional or modified-duty jobs provide opportunities for your employees to return to work even when medical restrictions prevent them from doing their regular jobs. Having these jobs identified before an injury occurs will help limit possible delays in return to work.

That might mean having an injured employee work in a different department temporarily.

To come up with ideas ask your managers, “What would you do if you had an extra pair of hands?” For more ideas, check out our lists of transitional jobs broken down by industry.

 

Originally published in 2020; updated May 2025.

Outdoor hazards to watch for during warm weather months

With warmer weather on the horizon, and already here in many places, it makes sense to prepare for a new batch of safety concerns.

Especially for people who work outdoors, the summer months bring a host of potential hazards, including heat-related issues, slips and falls, severe weather and more.

Share the following tips with your employees and colleagues to help them stay safe during warmer months.

Outdoor slips and falls

Potential tripping and slipping hazards can happen all year long.

Pay attention to the conditions of the surfaces you’re walking on. Parking lots, sidewalks, ramps and stairs can all have cracks, holes or uneven surfaces that could cause you to trip. Use handrails on stairs or ramps, and try to keep your hands free of encumbrances. Do not carry more than you can handle or items that block your vision.

Don’t take shortcuts through lawns or center islands. Uneven ground and concealed or hard-to-see holes can result in twisted ankles or worse.

Also, summer months might have employees wearing different footwear than at other times of the year. Flip-flops, sandals, loose-fitting shoes, high heels, cowboy boots, etc., all increase the risk of slip and fall injuries or feet and ankle injuries. Employers need to mandate proper footwear and enforce it with workers.

Also, report any unsafe outdoor conditions to the appropriate person.

Heat stress

When you’re working in the heat, it’s important to make sure you stay hydrated. If you aren’t taking in enough fluids or salts, it can lead to heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

To prevent heat-related stress, give yourself time to adjust to hot weather by limiting your exposure at first, and gradually increasing the amount of time until your body has acclimated to the heat. Try to schedule work during the coolest parts of the day.

Drink plenty of liquids to replace what your body loses through sweating. You should be drinking approximately one cup of water every 15 minutes. Sports drinks with electrolytes are useful for replacing necessary salts, as well.

Don’t ignore symptoms of heat stress. Stop your work to cool off in a shaded or air-conditioned area if you experience dizziness, nausea or muscle cramping.

These tips are especially important for workers in certain industries. In early 2024, the American Society of Safety Professionals published the first national voluntary consensus standard addressing heat stress for workers in construction and demolition operations.

At a high level, the document:

  • Provides guidance on protecting workers
  • Outlines how to acclimate workers to high heat conditions
  • Gives tips for training employees and supervisors

The standard also contains checklists and flowcharts designed to help employers develop heat stress management programs.

Lightning safety

If you work outdoors, it’s important to pay attention to weather patterns. Thunderstorms are common across the country, and lighting safety is vital for employees who work outdoors.

From 2006 through 2021, there were 444 lightning strike fatalities in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Most of those deaths occurred in June, July or August.

Stay up to date on weather forecasts and watch out for early warning signs. If a storm is predicted, don’t start working on projects you won’t be able to stop quickly.

Clouds that grow vertically into towering cumulus clouds are often the first sign of a developing storm. Other indicators include high winds, dark clouds, rain and distant thunder.

When you see lightning, count the seconds until you hear thunder. If the time is 30 seconds or less, then the storm is close enough to be dangerous. Leave any open-air structures or areas with tall trees and seek shelter inside an enclosed building. Metal-topped vehicles are also safe.

If you are outdoors, stay off and away from tall structures or large equipment. Do not touch anything that can conduct electricity. Wait at least 30 minutes following the last clap of thunder before resuming your work.

Insect-borne diseases

Summer is peak season for ticks and insect bites. If you work outdoors, be aware of the conditions that put you most at risk. Insects are most active at dawn, dusk and early evening in tall grass, shrubs and wooded areas.

You can avoid insect bites by wearing long pants, sleeves, closed-toe shoes and a hat. Use insect repellents on clothes and exposed skin.

After being outdoors, you should perform body checks for ticks. If one is found, remove it immediately with fine-tipped tweezers by pulling it straight out. Then cleanse the area with antiseptic.

At the same time, illnesses such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus can be passed on by deer ticks and mosquitoes. An estimated 476,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, according to the CDC . And in 2024, more than 1,450 cases of West Nile virus were detected across 49 states, the CDC reports .

If you suspect you or one of your employees may have contracted an illness, seek medical attention right away.

Conclusion

Spring and summer months come with their own unique safety risks.

Getting back outside after a long winter can feel like a relief, but don’t let that cause you to let your guard down while working outside.

Lastly, federal officials have created a heat safety tool app employers can use as an additional resource.

 

Originally published in May 2019; updated May 2025.

Work injuries 101: Reporting injuries and supporting workers

No one starts out their day expecting a work injury.

On-the-job injuries are unanticipated, urgent and unfortunate for everyone involved, but there are best practices you can follow to make a bad situation better for you and your injured employee.

When to report work injuries

One key step is to report any work injury as soon as you can. Reporting immediately helps workers’ compensation claims go more smoothly for a number of reasons, including:

  • Employees get any needed care right away
  • Workers’ compensation benefits are paid promptly
  • The carrier has time to review and submit the injury to the state

To make this happen, employees and their supervisors must be trained to identify work injuries and report them immediately. If a supervisor sees an injury occur, or hears about it in another way, in many states the employer is required to report the injury. This is true even if an employee does not formally report a work injury, in most states. In South Dakota, employees are required to report injuries to their employers within a specified time period.

We recommend reporting all work injuries, even if they are so minor they do not require medical attention. This way if the injury worsens over time and does lead to a doctor visit or time off, you will have captured information needed to manage the claim.

Reporting incident-only work injuries (injuries which do not lead to medical or lost-time expenses) does not impact your experience modification factor (e-mod).

How to report work injuries

When you’re ready to report an injury to SFM you have a number of options, but the two most common methods are by phone and online.

You can call the SFM Work Injury Hotline anytime at (855) 675-3501 to report work injuries. Here are a few tips for reporting via the hotline:

  • We now offer a streamlined report-only option during business hours (7 a.m. – 4 p.m., M-F) for situations where the employee does not need to speak with a nurse. We recommend choosing the nurse option when the employee is unsure whether to seek medical treatment. (Calls outside of normal business hours will automatically go to a nurse.)
  • If a supervisor is not available, an employee can call the SFM Work Injury Hotline alone.
  • If the employee has already received medical treatment or is not available for the call, we recommend choosing the report-only option (Option 1) during business hours.

You can also report online on our website (sfmic.com) anytime. You do not need to log in to report injuries online. You just need your policy number. This is a fast and easy choice. Many employers opt to report online in cases where the worker has already received medical care.

For more information on reporting injuries, visit sfmic.com/report and download a copy of our claim packet.

Understanding the injury

After a work injury occurs, it’s important to figure out what happened and what you can do to prevent similar injuries in the future.

You can analyze a work injury in four steps:

  • Collect data: Talk to witnesses, take pictures and review maintenance and training records.
  • Identify the causes: Determine whether equipment, risky behavior, inadequate training, lack of personal protective equipment, the work environment, or other factors were to blame in causing the injury.
  • Analyze the findings: Examine all the facts and distinguish between the immediate causes (such as a broken ladder rung) and underlying causes (such as lack of training).
  • Develop a plan: Identify the steps to prevent similar injuries in the future.

For more information on accident analysis and a worksheet to guide you through the process, download our Accident analysis CompTalk from the resource catalog on sfmic.com.

Return to work 

When employees are off work due to on-the-job injuries, it’s important to show concern right away and stay in contact until the employee returns to work. When employers don’t reach out, employees can feel isolated and worry that they will not have a job to return to.

We recommend bringing employees back to work as soon as possible, even if you have to modify their regular job or provide light-duty work to accommodate medical restrictions. Bringing employees back to work as soon as you can helps them:

  • Recover faster
  • Stay in the routine of working
  • Feel productive
  • Maintain workplace relationships

This also helps keep wage-loss benefits down, which helps limit the impact of the injury on your future workers’ compensation premiums.

Work injuries are better prevented, but when they do occur, your SFM team is here to help. Your claims representative is always available to guide you through the process and answer any questions. You can also find more resources in the Employers section of sfmic.com.

When an employee is injured, these resources can help

Be on your guard for slips and falls all winter long

Throughout the colder months of the year, you must continuously be wary of the dangers of slipping on the snow and ice.

And this is especially true at the tail end of winter. Warmer weather may lull you into a false sense of security, but thawing and refreezing can make roads and walkways even more treacherous.

Each year, hundreds of employees insured by SFM report falling because of snow and ice — it’s one of the most common causes of injuries.

In fact, about 674,000 cases of falls, slips and trips were reported by private employers 2021-22, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with many of those incidents requiring employees to miss work because of the incident.

According to SFM claims data, 25 percent of ice- and snow-related falls occur in parking lots and 20 percent of slips and falls that occur in parking lots result in lost time from work.

Meanwhile, SFM estimates the average winter slip-and-fall lost-time claim costs range from $50,000 to $55,000. The costs — direct and indirect — mount quickly and can’t be ignored.

“Slips and falls during winter can be a major issue for worker safety,” said Director of Loss Prevention Lee Wendel. “But both workers and employers can take steps to mitigate the dangers and stay safe all winter long.”

Be on your guard for slips and falls all winter long

Staying safe from slips and falls

Employee injuries sustained in falls are costly. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says workers’ compensation and medical costs associated with workplace fall incidents have been estimated at $70 billion annually in the U.S.

Despite the perils of getting around during winter, there are many preventive measures employers can implement to decrease the chance of on-the-job injuries.

  • Make sure gutters and downspouts flow away from walkways to avoid the dangerous freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle
  • Redirect any water flowing on walkways to avoid puddles
  • Treat walkways at high-hazard times and warn employees about potential hazards
  • Manage snow piles near walkways to avoid melting snow refreezing to ice
  • Plow snow below the grade of walkways to minimize downward flow
  • Repair walkways to eliminate uneven surfaces that collect water and ice
  • Designate safe paths of travel to and from building to discourage potentially dangerous shortcuts

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that trips, slips and falls are the second-most common cause of workplace injury. Also, 20-30 percent of workplace falls result in a moderate or severe injury, including deep bruising, broken bones and concussions.

These incidents can be even more serious. According to the most recent data from the BLS, work-related fatalities due to falls, slips, and trips have increased in recent years:

  • 805 fatalities in 2020
  • 850 fatalities in 2021
  • 865 fatalities in 2022
  • 885 fatalities in 2023

About 20 percent of all workplace deaths are attributed to slips, trips and falls, per OSHA.

Employers must ensure walking surfaces at the workplace are free of snow and ice, according to OSHA safety standards.

Remind employees about winter hazards using SFM resources

With a few simple precautions, falls on snow and ice resulting in costly injuries can be easily avoided. Employee awareness is key.

“It’s important to keep reminding employees of the risks of winter slips and falls, and how to avoid them, throughout the season,” Wendel said. “We’ve tried to make that easy for employers by offering a variety of different resources.”

Consider some tips from SFM:

These tips and being aware of winter conditions can go a long way toward ensuring a winter spent upright and safe.

“Winter in the Upper Midwest often extends into early spring,” Wendel said. “By taking the necessary precautions and staying vigilant, workers can remain safe.”

 

Originally posted January 2018; updated February 2025.

How to help employees combat sleeplessness

A lack of sleep is common in the U.S., with nearly 37 percent of people reporting they don’t get enough, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

And employees who don’t get enough shuteye and more likely to suffer a workplace injury, reports the National Library of Medicine , which also says workers who do get enough rest have greater safety participation and safety motivation, and fewer accidents and injuries.

Risks of sleeplessness

When employees don’t get adequate sleep, injuries are often the result of:

  • Loss of muscle coordination
  • Increased risk of dropping things
  • Stumbling and falling
  • Impaired memory, attention, judgment and concentration
  • Difficulty making decisions, processing complex data and regulating emotions
  • Greater distractibility

What can I do?

As an employer, there are ways you can help ensure your employees are getting the recommended amount of sleep.

Teach your employees about the risks associated with insufficient sleep and how they can create healthy sleep habits.

Ways to combat lack of sleep include:

  • Have a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning
  • Create a bedtime routine to help the body unwind and grow accustomed to a sleep schedule
  • Things like warm showers or baths, soothing music and noncaffeinated, herbal teas may help
  • Sleep in a cool, quiet, comfortable and dark room
  • Get outside during daylight hours to help reset your body’s natural sleep and wake cycles
  • Limit use of technology during the hours before bedtime. Most electronics use blue light, which decreases the body’s production of melatonin and boosts attention, making the body want to stay awake. Additionally, engagement in things like social media and email can make it more difficult to unwind
  • Get regular exercise
  • Avoid caffeine for at least six hours prior to going to sleep

You can also take measures to make sure your workplace isn’t causing sleep issues for your employees. Some suggestions include:

  • Limit shift work as much as possible
  • Minimize overtime, especially if it’s forced
  • Avoid permanent placement on the night shift
  • Give workers as much choice as possible for shift start times
  • Address stressful workplace conditions such as lighting, temperature, noise and access to food

While there may be a cultural expectation to sacrifice sleep, it doesn’t have to be a part of your organization’s culture. Emphasizing the importance of sleep will benefit your company and your employees in the long run.

 

Originally published December 2020; updated February 2025.

Video highlights danger of falls in parking lots

Cold, snowy and icy weather are coming soon. As the weather brings colder and more slippery conditions, it’s a good time to remind your employees to walk carefully when outdoors.

Our new video for employees aims to catch their attention and remind them of the dangers they face when walking through parking lots in winter weather.

Parking lot slips and falls are a common source of work-related injuries during the winter months, and exercising caution can help your employees avoid nasty accidents.

We offer many resources on our winter slips and falls page you can use to prevent these types of injuries among your employees.

Other considerations for parking lot slips and falls

Every state’s law is different, but typically employers are required to provide safe routes for employees from their vehicles into work.

This means if an employee is injured by tripping and falling in the designated parking lot on the way into or out from work, it could be considered a work injury, making the employee eligible for workers’ compensation medical and wage loss benefits.

It’s not uncommon, and the injuries are often serious.

Injuries aren’t just bad for your employees. Having a lot of claims can negatively affect your costs as an employer, too.

Keep parking lots maintained

It’s very important to make sure that parking lots are well-maintained — cleared of snow and ice in the winter and free of cracks and other trip hazards.

Make employees aware of hazards

Your employees can also play a role in avoiding slip-and-fall injuries by walking carefully and wearing appropriate footwear. See SFM’s winter slip-and-fall prevention page for posters, table tents and other resources you can use to keep fall prevention top of mind for employees.

 

Originally posted October 2027; updated January 2025.

Workers’ compensation exemptions for Minnesota small business owners and family members

Generally speaking, Minnesota law requires employers to provide workers’ compensation coverage for all employees.

But the law does allow employers to exclude certain types of employees from coverage, such as small business owners and their close relatives.

Following are the types of employees that are exempt from mandatory insurance coverage by Minnesota state law :

  • Sole proprietorships and partnerships:
    Someone operating a business as a sole proprietor isn’t required to get workers’ compensation insurance for his or her spouse, parents or children working in the business, regardless of age or wage rate. However, the business owner would have to provide coverage for any other employees. Similarly, members of a partnership — such as a law firm — don’t have to purchase coverage for themselves. If their spouses, parents or children are employed by the partnership, they’re not required to provide coverage for them either.
  • Executive officers of a closely held corporation:
    A closely held corporation is one in which the capital stock is held by no more than 10 people and has had less than 22,880 hours of payroll in the preceding calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Executive officers of closely held corporations can be excluded from coverage if they are elected or appointed in accordance with the company’s charter or bylaws and they own at least 25 percent of the capital stock of the corporation (exclusive of any stock owned by other family members). If executive officers qualify to be excluded from workers’ compensation coverage, their spouses, parents and children are also excluded if they work in the same business. Relatives within the third degree of kinship — such as uncles, nieces, siblings and grandchildren — can also be excluded, but to do so, the employer must file a written election with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
  • Managers of limited liability corporations:
    A limited liability company (LLC) has some attributes of a corporation and others of a partnership. If an LLC has 10 or fewer members and has less than 22,880 hours of payroll in the preceding calendar year (January 1 to December 31) managers who own at least a 25 percent membership interest aren’t required to purchase workers’ compensation coverage for themselves. If managers qualify to be excluded from workers’ compensation coverage, their spouses, parents and children are also excluded if they work in the same business. As with executive officers, relatives of a manager within the third degree of kinship can also be excluded, but to do so, the employer must file a written election with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.

Even if state law doesn’t require workers’ compensation coverage for certain individuals, a business can choose to cover them by notifying its workers’ compensation insurer in writing.

If you find that you do need workers’ compensation insurance, you can get a quote through our website.

What about other states?

The rules on which family members can be excluded from workers’ compensation coverage, if any, differ based on state laws. Here are the rules in SFM’s core states:

Indiana

Exceptions in Indiana workers’ compensation law:

  • Sole proprietors, limited liability company managers, and partners aren’t covered unless they elect to be
  • Agricultural employees performing traditional types of farm labor directly related to the tending of crops and livestock are not included in the work comp statute. Workers doing other types of work in a farm setting may be covered by work comp law. Employers can purchase a work comp policy for the farm workers

Iowa

Exceptions in Iowa workers’ compensation law:

  • Sole proprietors
  • Independent contractors, limited liability company members and partners aren’t covered unless they elect to be
  • For family farms, sole proprietors, partners, officers, members of an LLC and their spouses, parents, brothers, sisters, children and step-children are excluded

Kansas

There is an exception in Kansas workers’ compensation law: Agricultural pursuits and employments are excluded from the Work Comp Act, unless the employer is the state of Kansas.

Nebraska

There are a few exceptions in Nebraska workers’ compensation law, including:

  • Household domestic servants in a private residence
  • Some agricultural operations such as those employing only relatives or those employing fewer than 10 full-time employees for fewer than 13 calendar weeks (consecutive or not)
  • Self-employed individuals, sole proprietors, partners and limited liability company members who don’t elect to be covered

South Dakota

There are a few exceptions in South Dakota workers’ compensation law:

  • Domestic servants working less than 20 hours per week or for less than six weeks in any 13-week period
  • Farm or agricultural labor
  • One whose employment is not in the usual course of trade, business, occupation or profession of the employer (such as independent contractors)

Tennessee

According to the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development , there are a few exceptions in Tennessee workers’ compensation law:

  • State and local governments and those employing farm laborers or domestic help
  • Sole proprietors, partners and members limited liability companies (LLCs) aren’t included in the count of employees
  • Corporate officers can exempt themselves but are not excluded from the count of employees unless they are not compensated
  • Family members, if the applicant and members of the same family hold at least 95% ownership of the business

Wisconsin

There are a few exclusions in Wisconsin , including:

  • Domestic servants, such as nannies
  • Sole proprietors, partners, and members of limited liability companies (unless the organization elects to cover these individuals)
  • Volunteers of nonprofit organizations whose salary or in-kind compensation doesn’t top $10 per week
  • Employees of Native American tribal enterprises, unless the tribe elects to waive its sovereign immunity

Small business owners and work comp coverage

Required or not, some owners choose to buy workers’ compensation insurance for themselves so that in the event of a work injury, their medical expenses and lost wages would be paid. Others opt out and secure coverage for work-related incidents through their health, disability and life insurers. (Note that many health and disability insurance policies specifically exclude work-related injuries from coverage, so it’s important to check and make sure you’d be covered.)

Learn more about workers’ compensation coverage

Determining whether your employees fit into these categories can be complicated. It’s best to contact your agent, insurer, employment law attorney, or state’s labor department to find out whether you’re required to provide workers’ compensation insurance.

 

Originally published April 2019; updated January 2025. This is not intended to serve as legal advice for individual fact-specific legal cases or as a legal basis for your employment practices.

Combat the dangers of sitting: Add movement to your workday

You’ve probably heard that too much sitting is bad for your health.

According to the Mayo Clinic , sitting for long periods of time is linked with obesity and metabolic syndrome, as well as an increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Sitting for too long can also increase pain by tightening muscles and stiffening joints.

What can you do if you spend your workdays at a desk? The answer is simple — take frequent breaks and find ways to sit less.

Take steps to sit less

The good news is there are many steps you and your employees can take to break down the culture of prolonged sitting.

Here are four ideas for reducing chair time.

Get up and move

Find the time to move and stretch throughout the workday. Give yourself a time limit in your chair and make it a priority to stand up and give your body a break from sitting. Check out our Get up and Move poster for ideas of stretches you can do in a few minutes.

Make exercise part of your routine

Even smaller amounts of exercise can benefit your health and well-being. Exercise is cumulative, so three 10-minute walks spread throughout the day are as valuable as one 30-minute walk. Plus, you can always break up your day by moving around.

“I always suggest getting up and walking around briefly every so often,” said Mike Fetting, SFM Loss Prevention Specialist. “Bathroom. Water. Coffee. Printer. Neighbor. Don’t do all your ‘errands’ at once.”

Walk and talk

Before you gather around a table for that next meeting, consider combining it with a walk outside or around your workplace. If you’re working from home, maybe you can walk around your house during conference calls.

Be aware of how much time you and your coworkers spend sitting

Start a friendly challenge to see who can get the most steps in. Make it a goal to learn which activities you can perform while standing or on the move.

With a combined approach and a little creativity, you can significantly reduce the amount of time you and your employees spend in a sedentary position and get on a path toward better health.

If you’d like more ideas, see our Get Up and Move page for videos and posters with stretches you can do at your desk, and many more free resources.

 

Originally published April 2020; updated November 2024.

Why you need to watch out for workplace bullies

by Kathy Bray, Esq.

When you hear the word “bullying” do you think of a child being taunted on the playground, or a teen being harassed online?

Unfortunately, bullying doesn’t end with childhood. The Workplace Bullying Institute estimates that 60.3 million U.S. workers are affected by bullying.

As an employer, running an inclusive, respectful and bully-free workplace can help your employees and your organization thrive.

The following are some basics for employers on workplace bullying and how to prevent it.

What is workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment by one or more employees of an employee: abusive conduct that takes the form of verbal abuse; or behaviors perceived as threatening, intimidating, or humiliating; work sabotage; or in some combination of the above, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute.

What can employers do to prevent workplace bullying?

As an employer, you can institute policies and procedures to make your workplace welcoming for all. Take the following steps to promote a workplace that supports an open exchange of ideas, without fear of belittling or disrespect:

  • Employ intentional hiring and promotional practices that recognize and reward positive interpersonal relationship traits
  • Call references and past employers, and ask about whether the job candidate exhibited threatening or violent behavior
  • Do a thorough criminal background check
  • After hire, make anti-bullying and anti-harassment training part of your orientation process. Make sure your anti-harassment and business conduct policies include multiple avenues for reporting concerns
  • A retaliation policy is also important. By clearly prohibiting retaliation against anyone who reports a violation of the law or company policy, you’ll not only make it more likely that someone will come forward if they’re being bullied, but also remind employees that it may be illegal to discriminate against a good faith complaint reporting a violation of company policy

Consult with your legal counsel to lawfully structure your policies and procedures regarding workplace bullying.

Is it illegal?

That depends on the situation. If the bullying is based on race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), a disability or genetic information it’s possible it could be a form of harassment , which is illegal. If you are operating in one of the 22 states or the District of Columbia with laws expressly preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation (e.g., Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin), bullying on that basis also could be actionable. Physical violence and threats are also illegal.

There’s a national campaign to pass a Healthy Workplace Bill , which would make workplace bullying illegal and allow workers to sue their bullies individually. The bill has been introduced in 30 states, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute website, but Puerto Rico is the first in the United States to enact a workplace bullying law, which was signed into law in August 2020 .

What does workplace bullying have to do with workers’ compensation?

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970 , employers are required to provide a safe workplace. One aspect of workplace safety is addressing the risk of workplace violence , which OSHA defines as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.”

Getting employees back to work as soon as they are medically able is an important goal following an occupational injury. Creating a safe and positive workplace will increase the likelihood of return to work success.

Conclusion

Employees have a right to a safe workplace.

And employees who feel welcomed and happy are likely to be more productive, develop stronger relationships with their coworkers, and overall be more satisfied with their work. For more, read our blog, Why employee happiness is so important.

Originally published in July 2021; updated in September 2024.

Four steps toward building a successful safety program

If you were to ask employees who the leader of their organization is, most of them would say it’s the CEO, executive director, superintendent or owner.

But if you asked them who the safety leader is, would the answer be the same?

Leadership buy-in regarding safety efforts is critical to maintaining a productive workplace. And it also benefits the bottom line.

Creating an organizational culture where everyone is dedicated to building and maintaining a safe work environment requires commitment to safety from the top down.

A LinkedIn article from late 2023 discusses the importance of involving company leaders at every step of the process, including:

  • Safety committees
  • Audits, inspections
  • Training sessions

Still, it’s everyone’s job to set an example and make safety part of the foundation of your organization.

But if safety isn’t already ingrained in your organization’s culture, how do you get started? Here are four steps toward creating a safety program.

1. Set safety goals

To make your safety program effective, you need to set the right goals for your employees.

Focus on safe behaviors rather than risky ones. Choose goals that relate to safety indicators that are both meas­urable and specific to your workplace. The best behaviors to observe are those that will prevent injuries from happening. Review your injury records to look for any trends. This will give you a place to start.

For example, if you’re noticing a large number of back injuries due to lifting, you may want to create a safety goal around safe lifting practices. But rather than telling your employees that the goal is to go one month without injuries, instead focus on safe behaviors. Take 15 minutes every day to observe your employees at work and make a note of every time someone uses the proper lifting technique. Set a goal of observing 100 safe lifts in a week.

Not only can these observations encourage safe behaviors, but they can also help correct unsafe behaviors. If an employee doesn’t use proper lifting techniques, it won’t count against achieving the goal, but you can still observe what the employee is doing wrong and make corrections accordingly.

If you center your safety goals around risky behaviors or injuries, then it could cause employees to refrain from reporting workplace incidents. If you set a goal of going incident-free for a month, then if one of your workers is injured on day 28, they might wait to report the injury. No one wants to be the one to break the trend. But waiting to report an injury could lead to both further injury for the employee and decreased production for the company.

By setting positive goals, you can encourage safety without affecting injury reporting.

2. Use positive recognition

Reinforce safety culture with your employees through positive recognition.

When you’re doing your observation, take the time to recognize employees who follow proper protocols. This can be done verbally, or you can consider some sort of reward program.

Put together a safety program based on encouraging good behaviors that relate to the goals you’ve set. Perform regular checks and offer recognition when applicable, while also making note of any areas that need improvement. Have your supervisors do checks at varied times.

3. Get employees involved in safety

Once you demonstrate your commitment to safety, start getting more of your employees involved. Encourage workers at all levels to participate in the program and start talking to each other about safety.

Not only will this increase the number of eyes looking for ways to improve the safety of your workplace, but it will also increase personal awareness of dangerous behaviors and conditions.

Some options include:

  • Have your employees do safety observations among themselves
  • Ask them to fill out safety checklists
  • Start a safety suggestion box
  • Perform random knowledge checks

Try a few different tactics to see what’s most effective in getting your employees to start talking about safety.

You can also incentivize participation by offering rewards to employees who get involved in the program. Small prizes, such as $5 or $10 gift cards, are an easy way to encourage employees. You could also consider providing a free lunch or entering employees who participate into a drawing for a larger prize.

Once you get started, it will become second nature for your employees to communicate about safety.

“You know you have an effective safety culture when employees are willing to talk to each other when they’re doing something unsafe,” said SFM Director of Loss Prevention Lee Wendel.

4. Respond to employee concerns

Your employees need to see that you’re serious about creating a safe work environment. Once you have employees talking about safety, you need to make sure to be communicative and follow up on their observations.

If you have employees reporting safety concerns to you that go unanswered, the program will lose momentum, as well as credibility. Not only will this prevent you from improving safety, it could also cause things to swing in the other direction if your workers lose confidence in you.

It’s also the responsibility of senior leadership to make sure all supervisors and leaders who interact regularly with other employees are on board with a safety program. Supervisors need to allow employees time to engage with the safety program.

You’ll also have to ensure your supervisors are supporting any actions taken to correct a safety concern. If a supervisor contradicts a decision, that could bring a quick halt to your program.

Conclusion

Ultimately, when it comes to leadership in safety, your goal is to have all employees view themselves as safety leaders. But you are the person who can make that happen.

“The most common reason a safety program fails is due to a lack of leadership support,” Wendel said. “A senior leader has the power to make a safety program work or destroy it based on what they say and do.”

If you can show your commitment to safety by creating a dedicated program, listening to your employees and encouraging everyone to get involved, the entire company will follow your example.

Originally published in December 2020; updated in August 2024.

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