BCC to host Workmen’s Compensation Symposium for employers
Workmen’s compensation claims can be extremely costly to employers, but there are ways to mitigate risk. WorkFit is a partnership between Barton Community College and Advanced Therapy & Sports Medicine dedicated to reducing work related injuries and associated costs for employers.
A WorkFit Workmen’s Compensation Symposium is set for 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20 in F-30, the Seminar Room of the Fine Arts Building at Barton Community College. Lunch will be included.
The deadline to reserve space is Friday, Sept. 16. Contact Krystall Barnes at 620-786-7575 or barnesk@bartonccc.edu to reserve a spot.
The symposium will outline the benefits and return on investment of using WorkFit to test employees.
Employees, potential employees or new hires can receive physical capacity profile testing in 30 minutes. The test results give employers a benchmark for the physical capabilities of employees so they can match a job candidate’s strengths to a position.
If an employee is injured on the job, the employer is responsible for the costs of rehabilitation only to the level the employee’s test results indicated.
Barton Community College is celebrating a 10-year partnership with a Great Bend business, Advanced Therapy & Sports Medicine. Together they created the Limited Liability Company WorkFit, which offers employers physical capacity testing for new employees or current employees being introduced to new work responsibilities, said Elaine Simmons, dean of Workforce Training & Community Education at the college.
“It’s unique for a college and a business partner to start a business,” Simmons said. “It is a community project,” she said of the 50-50 partnership. Workfit does about 4,000 tests a year.
Dan Crites and Teresa Malone from Advanced Therapy and Sports Medicine, along with Krystall Barnes, coordinator of Workforce Training Projects & Events at Barton, described the business at Tuesday’s BCC board of trustees meeting.
“In 2015, Kansas had 50 work-related fatalities,” Barnes said. There were also 50,000 workers compensation claims statewide. Workfit offers Physical Capacity Profile® testing to about 40 companies in Great Bend and the surrounding area.
“Our test is the most objective test out there,” Barnes said. It provides 28 strength measurements. Studies show every $1 spent on testing saves $8-12 in direct medical costs because matching employees’ duties to their strengths make the workplace safer.
The testing is done a Advanced Therapy and takes about 30 minutes, Crites said.
“This is a benefit for the employee and the employer,” Malone said. A person injured on the job can expected to be rehabilitated back to the point where he or she started. On the other hand, an employer isn’t responsible for injuries sustained before coming to work there.
Partners also noted the service is not used to avoid hiring someone. Rather, it provides knowledge of a person’s physical capacities. This reduces injuries by ensuring employees have the physical strenth to safely perform the job duties.
The presenters also noted the procedure is ADA, EEOC, and HIPPA compliant, and the test reports have been used successfully by companies to reduce settlements in workers’ compensation cases. Insurance premiums can also be reduced through the implementation of WorkFit.
For more information, visit bartonccc.edu/workfit or contact Coordinator of Workforce Training Projects and Events Krystall Barnes at barnesk@bartonccc.edu or 620-792-9332.
