Early-return-to-work (ERTW) programs for injured workers are a relatively new development. While it is widely believed that such programs are the primary means of controlling workers' compensation costs after an injury has occurred, little research has been done on how these programs accomplish that end. This thesis is an exploratory examination of the factors involved in ERTW programs and the relationship between components of ERTW programs for injured workers and organizational outcomes, specifically the cost of medical care and wage reimbursement associated with workers' compensation claims.

Workers’ compensation insurance (WCI) is the highest cost to an employer following accidents. It is needed to predict the benefits value without taking into account the past records of an employee, which is not readily available in most cases. Employment and workers’ compensation data were acquired from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Academy of Social Insurance, respectively. The statistical model was developed with SAS using multiple regression and the process was simplified using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The model predicted future values of workers compensation given a known number of covered workers for all U.S. states. The model is statistically proven to be fit for all states. The states were compared on the basis of percentage deviation from the actual values. By using this model, insurance companies and policymakers can have better understanding of workers’ compensation trend and they can quotes premiums and develop policies more accurately.

It is well established that the frequency of claims filed for benefits under the workers' compensation program is dependent not only on the number of workers employed but is influenced by work characteristics such as the nature of work performed, the type of job, and the level of employment. This thesis hypothesized that, in addition to work characteristics, the frequency of claims filed is significantly related to worker characteristics such as age and gender. Using data on the actual number of claims filed for workers' compensation benefits by university employees, this study investigated the relationship between worker and job characteristics, and the incidence of claims for workers' compensation benefits. It is found that, for the aggregated workforce in the institution, there are significant relationships between the claims filed and the function, sedentary / non-sedentary type of employment, the job-family, and the age of the worker. However, on disaggregation, no significant relationships were found between the claims filed by employees in administrative, faculty, and research positions, and their age, gender, and the type of their jobs. Non-sedentary nature of the job was found to be related to claims filed by male workers in technical jobs, and possibly related to claims fueled by workers in the clerical category. Age of the worker was found to be significantly related to claims filed by younger workers in support activities such as maintenance, groundskeeping, and food services, and possibly related to professionals in similar activities. Gender was not found to be related to claims filed by workers in any category. / Master of Science

The purpose of this project was to develop an employer handbook to assist them in developing a return to work program for industrially injured workers.