Why Staying Connected to Injured Employees is Good for Business—and the Soul
by Josh Schuette
I was once co-presenting with a medical doctor who specialized in brain injuries. We were discussing a case study on the psychological effects that are sometimes associated with brain injuries, when we posed the question of why the worker in the case study was presenting clinically like he was. Immediately, a man in the back of the room started yelling, “He’s a malinger! The injured worker’s a malingerer! That’s why he’s acting like he is!” This was actually the second case study we presented on that evening where this individual diagnosed the injured worker as malingering.
It turned out that neither of the diagnoses for this case study was malingering. Due to the passion of this individual, it did beg my colleague and me to ask him why he thought this was the diagnosis, as well as why he was so passionate in his assertion. He replied that he had been an adjuster for “years” and that “every file” that came across his desk involved malingerers.
What a cynical way to go about life, I thought. I couldn’t imagine living every day thinking that each person I treated was a malingerer.
Having compassion for this particular adjuster made me want to speak with him more. It turns out, the adjuster was also curious about my presentation. He wanted to know why I seemed so optimistic and hopeful, considering we’d both worked in workers’ compensation for roughly the same amount of time.
After a productive conversation and some reflection later that evening on a long drive home, I realized that it was our approaches to the care of injured workers that probably accounted for our differences in demeaner and attitude. It turned out that the adjuster had only read case files but never met with the injured workers in person. For that matter, he’d very rarely seen a picture of an injured worker to put a face to a claim. He’d seen pictures of an injured worker’s wounds or an MRI report, but never a face.
Although I, too, regularly perform detailed chart reviews, I much prefer to meet with injured workers face to face. A lot can be said for the power of human contact, especially when it comes to assisting someone in navigating what can be one of the most challenging situations a person can face.
From personal experience as a medical provider who has worked with multiple businesses over the last 20 years, my advice to employers is to try and stay in contact with your injured employees as much as you can as they are working on their comeback journey.
I understand that legal or social challenges can sometimes prevent or complicate direct contact with your injured employee. However, if this isn’t the case, I’m a big proponent of keeping the lines of communication open. I’ve seen multiple examples of win-win situations for both the employer and employee from the employer maintaining direct contact with both the injured employee and the medical providers. In certain circumstances, the injured employee ends up coming back to a better position, and the employer finds a synergy after the employee demonstrates strengths and an aptitude that the employer never identified before the work injury.
Recently, I was performing a functional capacity evaluation on an individual who worked in the construction industry who suffered a catastrophic injury from a fall from a significant height. His boss regularly stayed in touch with both him and the medical team. The employee recovered from his cognitive injuries faster than his physical injuries, so after a direct meeting among all involved, they determined this individual could go back to assisting the sales department while he waited to be cleared to return to full work in construction.
It turned out that he excelled at the sales-side of the job, as he was the only member of the sales team that understood the ins and outs of construction work. As the result of this light duty, the employer ended up creating a new position for him: a hybrid role of both hands-on construction work as well as sales. In true win-win fashion, the employee returned to a higher-paying position, and the employer gained a new member of the sales team that increased their overall revenue.
I want to emphasize the fact that direct communication with an employee cannot only be good for your bottom line; it can be good for your soul.
Ultimately, if we’re in workers’ compensation, we’re in the business of helping people. Directly communicating with the people you’re trying to help will make your life richer and more fulfilling, so you won’t have the experience of the adjuster I mentioned earlier.
When delivering my father’s eulogy at his celebration of life, it made me reflect on what truly matters. While my father accomplished a lot during his 79 years on this earth, I ultimately didn’t spend much time discussing his achievements. What I spent the most time discussing were personal stories about his interactions with people. Ultimately, the things that really matter. I know when my time is up, I don’t want to be remembered for my statistics and achievements. I want to be remembered for the people I helped along the way.
In sum, I encourage you whenever possible to remain in direct contact with your injured employee. Don’t look at the work injury as a “claim,” but instead see it for what it really is: a person, an employee, YOUR employee and teammate.
About Josh Schuette
For over 20 years Dr. Josh Schuette has worked as a physical therapist specializing in the field of workers’ compensation. In his current position with Brooks Rehabilitation, he performs 4 main roles: National Sales, assisting case management, performing Functional Capacity Evaluations, and developing new workers’ compensation programs including 2 out of the first 3 national value-based care programs. Dr. Schuette is the National 2023 Comp Laude “Be the Change” award winner, the 2024 SAWCA Comp Talks Champion, and a 2025 Deconstructing Comp Changemaker award winner. He is on the faculty of WorkCompCollege.com and is the host of its “Voice of the Provider” program. Josh is a member of the Florida Board of Kids' Chance and also volunteers for Give Kids The World as well as Ainsley's Angels assisting adapted athletes compete in endurance events like running races, triathlons & Spartan races.
R.E.W.A.R.D. PROGRAM: RETURN EMPLOYEES TO WORK AND REDUCE DISABILITIES
Trust and rapport are developed and improved after an injury by intentionally establishing and maintaining connections between the company and the injured worker. Supervisors and return-to-work coordinators should contact injured workers often to show concern and maintain relationships, as well as keep them connected to their co-workers. Read more about trust and advocacy post-injury in the REWARD Program Toolkit.
MEET WITH LIKE-MINDED EMPLOYERS
Employers are encouraged to attend an in-person REWARD Employer Group meeting that is scheduled right before the Bureau’s annual conference in Murfreesboro at the Conference Center at Embassy Suites on Wednesday morning, June 10th at 9:45 AM (Central). Brunch is included. Please RSVP. No fee is required to attend this pre-conference REWARD Employer Brunch. The 2026 REWARD Honor Roll for Employers will be announced at the meeting.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in the REWARD Report are solely those of the authors and may not reflect the official policy or position of the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims, the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, or any other public, private, or nonprofit organization. Information contained in the REWARD Report is for educational purposes only.