2005 HRINZ HR Award Winners

HR Initiative of the Year Wellington Region Winner: ACC

An ACC initiative aimed at helping employers to retain employees after injury and to manage injury related absences, has won the Wellington Region HR Initiative of the Year award.

The project was designed to create new resources and services to help build capability for organisations to retain their employees after injury, and manage injury related absence.

ACC’s return to work initiative was launched following a 2004 survey that showed only three quarters of compensation claimants were returning to work, 60% were not working in the same job and 56% were not working for the same employer. Most respondents reported working fewer hours. The cost to employers was considerable and there were evident inadequacies in employer capability, service delivery by ACC and partner treatment providers.

The judging panel said employers who are using the initiative have achieved impressive results in both the reduction of claims as well as having more employees returning to partial work. The processes used and tools developed demonstrated an innovative approach to HR.

Results have been monitored monthly and consolidated quarterly. The outcomes include:

• 13% decrease in total claims
• 15% decrease in the proportion of the claims receiving compensation longer than 3 months
• 79% of employers are satisfied or very satisfied with the support they are receiving
• 80% of outcomes indicate employer engagement in return to work actions
• 7% reduction in the number of employers who did not request assistance
• 16% increase in employer initiated requests for assistance.

“These results indicate that the initiative is well on its way to achieving its objectives and also show strong indications that there are significant productivity improvements and cost reduction opportunities that can be realised going forward,” the judges said.