Advocacy with L&I is critical to success | Vigilant

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Mar 9, 2021

Advocacy with L&I is critical to success

Washington Manufacturer:
Who do you contact within Labor & Industries (L&I) to help you with a difficult workers’ compensation claim issue? Who is advocating for your interests with the Department? Not knowing where to start and how to be impactful can be overwhelming, frustrating, and even demoralizing. Just as the company you keep is crucial to the performance of your Retro group, it is also crucial to have a positive and effective working relationship with L&I. Read on for the attributes of a strong Retro partner.

Results advocate: Navigating the complex bureaucracy at L&I can be overwhelming and no company should go it alone. Your Retro partner should advocate tirelessly for your company’s interests and help you achieve the Workers’ Compensation results you deserve. Whether working with your current partner or evaluating a new one, ask them specifically how they do this on your behalf. Make sure their actions are aligned with your business goals.

Productively Relational: A respectful, substantive and trustworthy relationship with L&I will afford your Retro partner the best opportunity to affect change for your company. In that context, they should most certainly be advocating unapologetically and assertively for your interests. The tone of your partner reflects on you. Be sure they are communicating in a manner that reflects your company’s values and culture. How do they work and interact with L&I? Ask them what they have done to build and maintain positive working relationships as opposed to adversarial ones.

Financial/Analytic Acumen: In order to work effectively with L&I, it is crucial your partner has a robust and sophisticated understanding of the entire Workers’ Compensation system as well as the ability to calculate and articulate real-dollar impact. If you are uncertain about this ask them about the strategies behind their claims management recommendations. Ask them about the analytics behind their recommendations aimed at lowering your premiums over time. Ask them for the financial impact of different actions on your future premiums.

Skilled Navigator: The reality is L&I is a complex and bureaucratic organization. It is not only important for your partner to know the next right step based on the facts, data, and real-dollar impact but also that they know who to contact to make it happen. Make sure your Retro partner knows the Claims Managers, Claims Consultants, Case Reservists, and other influential individuals at L&I so that when a problem is identified, they we can quickly and effectively get it resolved. Be specific. Ask them to name names so you are sure they understand how to effectively navigate the organization.

The bottom line: having a skilled, knowledgeable partner with the relationships to effectively advocate on your behalf is critical when tackling complex issues. We hope the points above will help you in assessing if you have such a partner. Of course, we’d also love for you to consider Vigilant as that partner. Because we believe in placing the interests of “Others before Self”, our team won’t rest until your issues are resolved. Learn more about our holistic Workers’ Compensation advocacy and partnership, then give us a call.

At Vigilant, our team provides holistic workers’ comp advocacy including claims, safety, legal, and overall cost savings strategy creation. We work hard to drive down your workers’ comp costs and prioritize keeping your employees safe and working. Let’s talk about how we can work together.

This website presents general information in nontechnical language. This information is not legal advice. Before applying this information to a specific management decision, consult legal counsel.
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About The Author

Dan Beaty

Vice President Workers' Compensation
  • Portland State, B.S. in Communication
  • University of Washington, MBA
  • Has completed 6 marathons
  • Enjoys growing food in his garden; makes his own kombucha

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