An innovative partnership between a logistics company, a workers' compensation carrier, and a local nonprofit is accelerating the recovery of injured workers by providing them with meaningful, modified-duty assignments. For companies with limited light-duty tasks, this program expands their ability to support their employees’ recovery, reducing claims costs and showing workers that they are valued even when they can't perform their regular job.
Podium Logistics, a delivery service provider (DSP) for Amazon, manages last-mile deliveries with a workforce of drivers who face daily hazards. Drivers can be in and out of their vehicles hundreds of times a day and contend with difficult weather conditions like wind and ice.
When an employee is hurt, the challenge of finding appropriate modified duty is significant. But for Podium Logistics President Carl Svanstrom, prioritizing an injured worker's recovery is crucial.
"If someone’s injured, we want them to recover as quickly as possible," Carl explains.
In the fast-paced delivery business, that commitment to caring takes effort. "I work with lots of DSPs,” says Pinnacol Return to Work Consultant Christine Brozek. “It’s not just about Carl trusting employees - it’s about them trusting him."
Studies show that for workers who miss more than six months of work, the chance of returning to their job drops to about 50 percent.
Pinnacol Assurance’s Return to Work team connected Podium Logistics with a local nonprofit with a high demand for volunteer work. This partnership offers a mutually beneficial scenario:
ARC Thrift Stores, which operates 38 locations across Colorado, is one of the nonprofits that partners with Pinnacol's program. Miranda, the organization’s director of special projects and sustainability, notes the substantial reliance on volunteer support, which amounts to an average of 6,500 volunteer hours weekly across all stores.
The tasks offered to injured workers through the Return to Work program include:
Miranda stresses that the consistency of the injured workers' schedule is highly beneficial for ARC's operation, especially compared to one-off community service volunteers.
"We can always put volunteers to work, but steady support we can count on every day is really beneficial."
One of Podium Logistics’ injured drivers, India Reed, was placed at an ARC Thrift Store following a workplace injury. She was limited to a mostly sedentary role, so ARC found her a valuable, specialized task.
"We found a task that is beneficial to the store, but also something that she has knowledge of,” Miranda said. “India is familiar with playing cards, so she sorted those donations. She found multiple cards that were worth over $100 each."
By creating a seated role sorting and determining the value of trading cards, India felt valued and was able to contribute meaningfully to the nonprofit while recovering.
India completed her recovery, and since returning to Podium Logistics, India has been a "star performer" according to Carl.
This successful recovery exemplifies the benefit of staying engaged, physically, emotionally, and with the community.
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