Inside Retail Services News

It’s important to contact your RS claims analyst

By Maria McClain, Director of RETRO Member Services

Are you having issues with an injured worker? We recommend that you directly contact your RS Claims Analyst at Washington Retail. We can lead you in the right direction.

We’ve had employers call us wanting to terminate an employee and providing several reasons. WR should always be aware of these kind of issues prior to termination. WR will assist with a valid written job offer when a worker has restrictions, which is very important before you document a worker for termination.

There are two other things to consider:

  • Is your worker aware of your policies?
  • Did they sign their Acknowledgment of Receipt of Employment Policies & Procedures or a similar document upon hire, and did you keep a copy in their file? This might come in handy should the worker violate policy and termination ensues. Were it not for the worker’s own actions, they would be still be employed, but there must be proof. Providing a copy of the worker’s signature along with the policy to their claim file shows that the worker was aware of the policy and the employer has good cause. Without a written offer, time loss would begin on a terminated employee.

Claims Analysts here at Retail Services should never read an RLOG where the employer has called the Department of Labor and Industries Claims Manager discussing their desire to terminate their worker. This phone call is public record and placed in the phone log on each Claim file, (known as the RLOG) that an injured worker can review. This could have serious implications should a wrongful termination suit be filed. If the claim file is documented properly, time loss will stop upon termination.

We will always advocate and represent our members. Contact your Claims Analyst today if you have questions.

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