#10. Promptly Investigate All Claims.
For employers time is your worst enemy. Once a case has been filed it can take up to 12 months before it is heard by a Magistrate. If an employee waits for two years and then files a claim, then the time period expands to 36 or more months. That is a long time to remember all of the facts surrounding an alleged injury at work. It is even harder to disprove its occurance after so much time. Further, witnesses may relocate and no longer be available.
A good report of injury is recommended. This is a form that is used by the injured employee to record the injury. It should be signed and dated by the employee and his or her supervisor. Like a police report it should record all of the relevant facts surrounding the incident. The report should be saved for future use. It should also be reviewed along with all other reports of injury from time to time in order to reveal any patterns of injuries. After review and analysis, proper steps can then be taken to address problem areas and consequently to acheive the goal of lowering workers' compensation costs.
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