Pub. 2 2020 Issue 3

Re-Hiring Tips PETER SHEFFER DIRECTOR OF WCT A t some point, hopefully soon, the novel coro- navirus will stop infecting our state with Covid- 19 and our members will be able to re-hire laid off or furloughed staff. There are a few things to keep in mind when that time comes. The WCT will waive the mandatory pre-place- ment drug test for 120 days after the day of the layoff or furlough. If the employee did not complete or wrote N/A on the pre-placement second injury form at the time of their previous hire, now is a good time to re-visit that form. The conversation about the second injury fund form should be the last thing on the checklist to complete before the employee begins work. Please sit down with the employee and ask if they have any pre-existing conditions, work related or not. Alternatively, if you know that the employee had an orthopedic surgery or had cardiac or other health issues, document those conditions on your business let- terhead and date it and retain it in the employees medical file. The answers will not affect the employee’s entitlement to future workers compensation benefits. But the proper documentation could open the door to second injury fund reimbursement if the employee sustains a serious work-related injury. The second injury fund reimburses 50% of medical and indemnity payments after the $10,000 deductible is met. Remind the employee that they are covered by the NHADA WCT and they are part of a mandatory managed care program. Encourage them to report injuries immedi- ately to their supervisor and to call Nurse Case Manager Marta Silakka, if an injury occurs that requires medical attention. Marta will assist the injured worker in getting the fastest and most appropriate care available in the network. She has contacts with orthopedist groups who can get the injured employee into an office visit in a day. If you adjusted your payroll figures using a self-audit or a telephone call to Marianne to reduce your premium, please remember to re-adjust those payroll figures so that there is not a big correction when the payroll auditors come out in the first quarter of 2021. As your workforce comes back to the pre-Covid numbers it may be a good opportunity to have Deb Handrahan come in and do some workers comp 101 refresher for the supervisors and managers. It will also be a good opportu- nity to get your safety committees up and running again. Your loss prevention representative is available to help get your safety committees off on the right foot. We are all looking forward to getting our businesses and lives back to normal; when that time comes there will be opportunities for improvements and the NHADA WCT staff are here to help. Deb Handrahan can be contacted at dhandrahan@nhada.com Marianne Gourgiotis can be contacted at mgourgiotis@nhada.com Marta Silakka can be contacted at msilakka@nhada.com Pete Sheffer can be contacted at psheffer@nhada.com Or call us at 800-852-3372 Diamond Partner AmericanFinancial &Automotive Services, Inc. Development, MasterTech™, Training, F&I University, Compliance ENDORSED PARTNER Arden Hetland Dean Martin Dennis Alexander Mitch Thompson Sean Browning Sean Skinner Wayne Moore Dealership Development Programs, Automotive Training Academy, F&I University, Compliance Programs, MasterTech™ F&I Product Suite. Please visit www.AFASinc.com for additional information. If you have any questions, please contact American Financial at 800.967.3633 or DealerInfo@AFASinc.com. 4 D R I V E