Founder of The Virgin Group Richard Branson said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

Engage your employees, find out what matters to them, uncover what concerns them and your workplace injury prevention program will flourish. Employers who care, and more importantly, employers who show how they care, will reap countless benefits.

Many companies are trying a new approach. Onsite physical therapy has proven to engage employees in preventing injuries and ultimately reducing costs and safety risks.

Physical therapists (PTs) work with employees one-on-one, know the jobsite and coach on proper ergonomics. PTs are also trained in treatment, which means you can take care of injuries on the spot.

Here are four ways that an onsite program impacts the employee experience:

• On the job health.Everyone wants to feel healthy and happy while working.  An onsite physical therapist provides a convenient “go to” resource for employees and proactively interacts with your team by making rounds on the worksite to offer advice on movement, equipment and exercises to avoid aches and pains.
• At home health.Pain on the job goes home, and pain at home comes to work. Whether it’s a boomer experiencing aches of aging or a new parent suffering with an aching arm from rocking a newborn, it’s an opportunity to broaden your program to show you care about their whole life. Have you considered adding non-occupational therapy to your program?  It’s a win that improves overall employee health at both work and home.
• Onsite worksite help.Convenience is a big benefit. Having someone onsite trained to observe a job in action and give advice will build trust with employees. It also gives employees easy access to an expert resource. An onsite therapist becomes a familiar face, which triggers fast action when pains occur and a go-to person for ongoing guidance.
• Alleviate employee worries. Questions and confusion plague an injured employee. Am I going to be able to work? What happens now? What can I expect? How can I make sense of it all? How do the doctors know what I really do for work? Medical care can be intimidating but can be remedied with the right person. An onsite PT will answer questions in a stressful situation.

To learn more about employee engagement, check out WorkWell’s Employee Experience Workplace Injury Prevention, a white paper loaded with fresh ideas and practical tips.