On Tuesday, an employee was bending down to pack product and incurred a sprain of the lower back. The employer contacted CCI, their MCO, and the injured workers' medical provider and was able to obtain the initial medical documentation that included a work restriction of no lifting over 20 pounds, and the estimated length of time the restrictions would be necessary. CCI obtained wage information from the employer and provided them with an analysis indicating the expected costs of allowing the BWC to pay compensation in comparison to the expected costs if they returned the employee to a transitional duty position.

The employer decided to offer a transitional duty job and made a written and verbal job offer to the injured worker at the same rate of pay she was earning at the time of injury. The injured worker contacted the employer and accepted the transitional duty position and returned to the transitional duty position on the following Monday. The injured worker stayed in the transitional duty position until her attending physician released her to return to full duty work the following month.

Had the employer not elected to offer the transitional duty position, the injured worker would have been eligible for one month of compensation benefits (from date of injury to date released to return to work). Returning this injured worker to a transitional duty position allowed the employer to avoid the compensation payments and additional reserve dollars established when compensation payments are made by the BWC.