50 BRAND STORY PRODUCED BY THE OREGON BUSINESS MARKETING DEPARTMENT BY JOHN CHANDLER They happen all the time. Cuts, concussions, catastrophes around the workplace. Rickety stairs, a stack of boxes, and boom! So what’s an employer’s next move? “They don’t want to be thinking about workers’ comp, but unfortunately, if a workplace injury happens, you need to do that,” says Brigitte Hamilton, vice president of claims for SAIF, a not-for-profit statechartered business that’s been taking care of injured workers and helping people get back to work since 1914. “We realize (employers) don’t think about workers’ compensation all day, but we do!” An employer should act quickly when there’s an incident, according to Hamilton, a 22-year SAIF employee. That way, SAIF can make a decision and determine appropriate benefits, reducing uncertainty for both the worker and the employer. “The benefit is for the injured worker, so we can begin providing benefits to them, paying for medical care, diagnostics, treatment and — if they are missing work — to help cover lost wages,” Hamilton explains. “We don’t want injured workers to be burdened with worrying about covering those costs on top of their injury and the resulting impact on their lives. We want to provide appropriate benefits to injured workers as soon as possible,” she adds. SAIF partners with a host of different managed care organizations that can provide support during what is often a very chaotic and confusing time for everyone involved. From a policy perspective, Hamilton considers the most important action an employer can take when an injury occurs is to fast-track a claim with SAIF using an Act Fast in Case of Injury SAIF exec outlines action items when the unexpected occurs.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==