“It isn’t rocket science”. I’ve said that before and I’ll say it again. Safety isn’t rocket science. OSHA compliance isn’t rocket science. Injury management isn’t rocket science. Understanding your EMR isn’t rocket science. If any of above were in fact rocket science, they’d be called ‘rocket science’.
The above-mentioned components are all dedicated to changing the culture of a workplace. It seems like everywhere you turn, people are talking about changing organizational culture like it is an original idea. It’s not. The problem is those who were talking about it 15 years ago were referencing it in a different context, such as Worker’s Compensation insurance, and it was difficult for people to make the connection.
Fast forward 15 years…now it is next to impossible to attend a conference or seminar without hearing mention of ‘culture’, whether it is related to wellness (physical or mental), hiring practices, harassment training or a myriad of other subjects. This isn’t a bad thing. Anything that raises awareness to a level of conversation where more people pay attention is beneficial to everyone who has something to contribute.
Let’s use Worker’s Compensation as an example. There is a false idea, presented by entirely too many insurance agents, that ‘you have very little, if any, control over your Worker’s Compensation because the State makes the rules and sets the rates and determines how claims must be handled’. There is just enough truth there to make that impression sound believable, but the reality is the complete opposite. Business owners arguably have more control over their Worker’s Compensation than they do any other type of insurance.
That is where Conquering Zero comes into play. If you could always hire the right person for a job, would that help your culture? If all your employees were physically capable of performing the job for which they were hired, would that help your culture? If implementing safety was easier, would that help your culture? If an injured employee always received care from a qualified provider, would that help your culture? If it were possible for an injured employee to never miss work, would that help your culture? If you could avoid unexpected surprises, would that help your culture?
Those questions among others are intended to spark thought with business owners and their current operations. Most business owners are where they are because they either invented a new product or service or improved an existing product or service then implemented policies and procedures around that product or service that were unique to the market and other people saw value in purchasing.
The point is business owners know and understand the importance of having the correct policies and procedures in place to run a successful business. Why would they then offload their safety program, OSHA compliance, HR compliance or anything remotely related to a third party? It is counter intuitive. When you own everything else; don’t turn those things over to someone else.
It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel. ‘Rocket science’, as referenced earlier, is used to describe anything thought to be overly complex and Conquering Zero exists to partner with your business to simplify that perception of Worker’s Compensation. While it is not comprised of strictly original ideas, it collects these components in the same place and organizes them with the ease of use in mind. Having the right policies and procedures is the key to being successful in any business and we are here to provide you with the tools you need related to Worker’s Compensation. Proper implementation will help you change your culture.
About the author:
Ray Gage, Director of WalkerHughes Allen County Office, is a Master Work Comp Advisor who's passion and life's work is to help sophisticated, process-oriented businesses create safe, healthy, productive workplaces, and as a result, more profitable firms. Feel free to contact Ray at r.gage@walkerhughes.com or by phone at 260-627-3641 with any questions or inquiries.
