Ep. 538 Using Rancho Mesa Resources for Return-to-Work Programs

Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby, discuss how companies can utilize Rancho Mesa’s resources for return-to-work programs to help their employees reintegrate to the workplace.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Colby

Editor: Jadyn Brandt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive.  

I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and today I’m joined by Brenda Colby, Client Technology Specialist with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to discuss Using Rancho Mesa Resources for Return-to-Work Programs. 

Brenda, welcome to the show. 

Brenda Colby: Hey Alyssa, happy to be here. 

AB: Now, avoiding injuries on the job should be every employers goal but despite their best efforts, injuries can still happen. Now i an employee is injured on the job, a return-to-work program is an important part of helping that employee reintegrate into the workplace.

So Brenda, can you explain why these programs are key to an employee’s safe return?

BC: Absolutely. If an employee’s ability to work is limited for an extended amount of time, that employee could be at risk of leaving their job or dropping out of the labor force entirelyDeveloping a return-to-work program can be a cost-saving tool for employers by reducing the number of weeks an employee is not working and also lowering workers’ compensation costs.

An effective return-to-work program will allow an injured employee to recover, while supporting continued productivity through modified duties.

AB: Okay, so how should an employer go about developing a return to work program?

BC: Well, there are no strict guidelines for a return-to-work program, but there are some best-practices for developing a program that works for you and your business.

An effective return-to-work program starts with timely reporting of on-the-job injuries. If an injury or illness occurs on the job, having clear and up-to-date policies is a necessity.

A sample Injury and Accident Response and Reporting Policy is available on Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage portal.

You may also be required to log the injury or illness in your OSHA 300 and 301 logs.

Recording of OSHA log data is also available in the RM365 HRAdvantage portal, and additional information regarding OSHA log requirements can be found on the Rancho Mesa website.

AB: All right, So once an employee is ready to return to modified work duties, what resources from Rancho Mesa do you recommend employers use to start that transition?

BC: So, when an employee is ready to return to work, we recommend providing the employee with a Release and Return to Work Acknowledgement letter. It outlines their modified duties and accommodations. A template is available through the RM365 HRAdvantage portal.

An employee may also be required to perform modified or reduced duties while preparing to return to their job.

Temporarily working for a non-profit organization, or completing online safety training can be used as a task or transitional step towards getting the employee back to their normal job duties.

Rancho Mesa provides two extensive libraries of safety and professional development trainings that can be useful in a return-to-work program. These safety trainings can be accessed through the SafetyOne platform, while the professional development trainings are located in the RM365 HRAdvantage portal.

AB: Those are all great resources for an employee looking to start work again, without returning to full job duties right away.

So Brenda, if listeners have questions about Rancho Mesa’s resources, what is the best way to get in contact with you? 

BK: As always, clients can contact me at bkhalil@ranchomesa.com or call me directly at (619) 486-6562.  

AB: All right. Well,  Brenda, thank you for joining me in StudioOne™.  

BK: Thanks for having me! 

AB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at RanchoMesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.