Don't Wait for the First Injury: 5 Tasks to Complete Before School Starts

The new school year is a good time to get ahead of workplace injury claims. Whether you’re new to workers’ compensation or you bring decades of experience to your role, these five simple tasks can help you start the year organized and ready.

1. Review Required Postings and Forms

Workers' compensation notices must be posted in areas where employees can easily see them, such as employee break rooms, workrooms, and staff lounges.

Complete a quick walk-through and check these items:

• Verify all required workers’ compensation notices are posted, including in new campuses/buildings.
• Remove outdated versions.
• Confirm contact information is current.
• Ensure supervisors know where forms are located.

Pro tip: Visit the TASB store for required, current work-site posters.

2. Remind Employees How and When to Report Injuries

Employees might not know when and how to report injuries, or they might forget what to do in the event of an injury. A quick reminder can help ensure injuries are reported promptly and properly.

Consider one or more of these no-cost methods:

• A back-to-school email reminder
• Brief instructions in your employee newsletter
• A reminder during staff orientation or staff professional development day

The message can be as simple as: "If you're injured at work, report the injury to your supervisor immediately and follow your organization’s reporting procedures."

3. Review Your Injury-Reporting Process

A clear reporting process helps employees, supervisors, and claims contacts know what to do next. Before school starts, walk through the reporting process from beginning to end and ask yourself:

• Do supervisors know who to contact?
• Are forms easy to find?
• Is contact information current?
• Can we implement electronic reporting?

How to Locate Alliance Providers

The first few hours after an injury can make a difference and knowing where to send employees is important. Before an injury happens, make sure your team knows how to locate Political Subdivision Workers’ Compensation Alliance providers.

4. Refresh Your Return-to-Work Program and Job Bank

Injured employees might not be able to immediately perform all their normal job duties. Before injuries happen, identify modified duties that comply with medical restrictions, facilitate recovery, and promote productivity.

Before the school year begins:

• Review your job bank.
• Ensure department contacts are up to date.
• Identify modified-duty opportunities.
• Verify supervisors understand the return-to-work process.

The goal is to keep employees connected to the workplace while supporting recovery whenever medically appropriate. Visit the Fund’s Return-to-Work Guide for modified-duty examples and inspiration.

"Modified-duty assignments have to comply with the employee's work restrictions on the DWC-73. It also has to be productive. We don’t assign busy work." Charleane St John Edmond, Workers' Compensation Specialist, Spring Branch ISD

Related: The Why and How of Return-to-Work

5. Review Last Year's Claims and Look for Trends

Take a quick look at your recent claims in the Fund Data Center before the new year begins.

Ask these questions:

• What injuries occurred most often?
• Which departments experienced the most claims?
• Are there patterns involving slips, trips, falls, lifting, or student interaction?

Use your claims data to inform safety reminders and training during the first few weeks of school. For inspiration, see how your peers leverage data to manage risk.

Before the first bell rings, take time to review your workers' compensation program and confirm your district is ready to respond when an injury happens. These simple checks can help strengthen your processes and support employees throughout the year. Need guidance? Reach out to the risk solutions consultant team for resources and support.