RTW PlaceRite Alternative Return-To-Work

RTW PlaceRite® is an alternative return-to-work network of non-profit organizations throughout the United States. It is provided by RTW, Inc. headquartered in Bloomington MN. RTW, Inc. was founded in 1983; it provides multiple solutions to reduce employee absence throughout the US. The company’s philosophy and vision is to “Transform people from absent or idle, to present and productive”.

RTW PlaceRite® has over 2,000 network locations in the US. The solution is designed to provide temporary light duty for injured employees with restrictions, in situations where the employer is unable to accommodate the injured employee. RTW PlaceRite® was also designed to keep the injured employee active with the ultimate goal of shortening their disability duration and getting the employee back to their full duty position. The program also helps reduce indemnity claim by 28 days.

RTW PlaceRite® was unbundled from other RTW services in early 2009. The network was made available to any organization in need of accommodating injured employees. RTW, Inc. received an enormous response to this and shortly after created a simple referral process online which is found in the sources cited section (bottom) of this article.

Workers compensation claims do not get better with time. The longer an injured employee is off work, the less likely they are to return. Studies show that if an injured employee is off work for 12 weeks, they have a 50% likelihood of ever returning to work. When RTW PlaceRite® is utilized, employees usually return to work on an average of two weeks. During this time, one of three things usually happens.

Study showed that:

25% participate in the return-to-work program

16% refuse work, benefits terminated

51% return to full duty work, benefits terminated

Average lost time per claim is reduced by 28 days

Altogether 92% of injured workers’ benefits are ended within one week of referral.

The RTW PlaceRite® Philosophy:

The philosophy of RTW PlaceRite is to shift the focus of pain, to recovery, all the while allowing recovery to take priority over production expectations. It is designed to help the employee regain confidence and improve moral. The program keeps the injured worker engaged in work and life for continued pay (by the employer) and most importantly, keeps the injured worker from becoming dependent on the workers compensation system.