Absence Management

Employer Benefits of an MDOS Program

Ella Baker
Employer Benefits of an MDOS Program
Reading time 4 Mins
Published on Jun 29
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Getting employees back to work quickly and safely

Modified duty off-site (MDOS) programs assist in returning employees to work through temporary off-site job placements. These placements are typically made for workers in industries for which on-site modified duty is difficult or nearly impossible, such as construction, some manufacturing, and other industries that require intensive amounts of manual labor. Such off-site placements are typically made with non-profit organizations in the community where the business operates or the worker lives. MDOS allow employees to maintain a productive work lifestyle while transitioning to their regular jobs, decreasing workers’ compensation costs for the employer.

Reduce workers’ compensation and disability costs

MDOS can reduce the cost and duration of lost-time incidences by assisting employees in getting back to work following an injury. While on an MDOS assignment at a nonprofit, the employee receives their salary through their employer, rather than temporary and total disability (TTD) paid through their workers’ compensation claim.

This reduction in indemnity costs could lower your experience modification factor, keeping your premiums increases lower in future years. The more of your employee’s wages you pay through an MDOS program, the less your experience modification factor will rise.

Reduced turnover

Studies of MDOS programs show that employees who are actively working during an injury recover faster than those employees who are on TTD. The longer an employee is away from employment, the less likely they are to return to work.

After six months of TTD, the likelihood of successful return to work drops to 50 percent, and to 25 percent after one year. MDOS programs can help you reduce turnover and keep productivity levels higher. The hiring, training, and onboarding process of a new employee often takes a far longer period of time than the length of time that an injured employee may be off. By offering MDOS alternatives, you can help ensure that your talented employees return to work more quickly and safely after an injury.

Less litigation

Injured employees who participate in MDOS programs report having higher morale than their TTD counterparts. This improved morale may lead to less potential employment litigation.

In some industries, traditional modified duty programs are difficult to implement. An MDOS program allows you to keep your employees productively employed while they fully recover from their injuries and prepare to return to their previous roles. By demonstrating that you are actively engaged in their recovery and return to regular employment, your employee may be less likely to seek legal counsel.

Give back to the community

By supporting the work of a nonprofit in your area, you and your employee are giving back to the community. Often the roles filled through MDOS programs would have been met by irregular volunteers or gone unfilled.

In addition to local nonprofits that you may wish to partner with for an MDOS assignment, many national nonprofits utilize these employees, including: the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, American Heart Association, YMCA, Goodwill, and Habitat for Humanity. These nonprofits are able to accommodate the needs of your injured employees, whether their duties restrict them to data entry, light cleaning, answering phones, or doing inventory.

MDOS and Sheakley

Sheakley specializes in finding light duty solutions for clients, including providing temporary job placement with nonprofit organizations. Utilizing state of the art technology, Sheakley’s experts are able to identify work assignments that meet your employee’s work restrictions and that are convenient for their location. Sheakley has a 99 percent placement success rate, with most placements occurring within 24 to 48 hours. Individual attention with a Nurse Case Manager during the placement appointment is also given during the placement appointment to review program details with your employee and to ensure that the nonprofit understands and accommodates all physical work restrictions.

Schedule your free consultation today with Christine Nickloes ([email protected]), Sheakley’s resident MDOS expert. Stay up-to-date on all things Sheakley by subscribing to our blog and following us on social media. Join in the discussion by commenting below.


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