Seven Employers Inducted into Inaugural REWARD Honor Roll

MURFREESBORO - The REWARD Program announced the first seven employers to be inducted into the REWARD Honor Roll at the Tennessee Workers' Compensation Conference in Murfreesboro today. 

The following Tennessee employers are the inaugural seven REWARD Honor Roll honorees:

• Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., Vonore, Tennessee
• Marvin Windows & Doors, Ripley, Tennessee
• Trane Technologies, Clarksville, Tennessee
• Brookdale Senior Living (Twenty statewide locations)
• US Engineering Innovations, Clarksville, Tennessee
• Averitt Express, Cookeville, Tennessee
• Blount County Government, Maryville, Tennessee

The REWARD Program is designed to assist employers in their efforts to return employees to work after their work-related injuries and spearheaded by the Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation. The Bureau would like to congratulate and thank each honoree for striving for excellence in each organization's return-to-work program.

Suzy Douglas, the REWARD Program Coordinator, said "At the Bureau, we often are faced with the situations that aren't going well, but this program is opening the door to show us what happens when employers truly look out for their teams and prioritize optimal outcomes for them by building and maintaining a great return to work culture for when something goes wrong.”

“By offering a return-to-work plan, our associates know they can focus on recovery while having the support and security of their workplace,” shares Teresa Schebel with Averitt Express. “Temporary, modified work provides a transitional pathway to full duty work. By participating in the REWARD program, employers have the support and assistance from the State of Tennessee to provide a return-to-work program to their employees. We call this return-to-work process a win-win for our associates and for our company.”

When asked how to track the success of their return-to-work program, Justin Bryant, US Engineering Innovations stated, “Success is defined by keeping employees at work in their regular role if at all possible while accommodating restrictions and getting employees back to their regular duty as soon as possible once released from restrictions.”

Suzy Douglas continues, "I'd like to think that if I were injured at my own job, the culture within my own organization is so strong that I know my employer has my back. Does yours?"

All Tennessee employers are encouraged to learn from these companies to raise develop their own return-to-work programs and to join the REWARD Program.

The REWARD Honor Roll is a special recognition program for Tennessee employers whose return-to-work programs meet certain criteria. Minimizing the impact of injury on the injured worker and employer is beneficial to both parties. Most return-to-work programs reduce operating costs, improve morale, and increase productivity. These factors tend to lead to improved customer relationships, lower prices, innovation, and market success. The injured workers who return to work are able to earn wages and have a greater sense of self-worth. REWARD Employers develop trust, credibility, and rapport with the team of influential employees, medical providers, claim professionals, and supervisors. They implement the principles outlined in our REWARD Toolkit and comply with Tennessee law.