Luther College gets $95,000 check for improving Workers Compensation claim performance

Luther College has been able to lower the workers compensation claims it files with its insurance carrier—and as a result Luther College recently received the largest Workers Compensation premium refund in the school's history.  The check for $94,979 from Cincinnati Insurance Company for fiscal year 2008-09 will significantly reduce Luther's budgeted insurance costs.

Luther had averaged over $95,000 in workers compensation claims during its 2006 and 2007 fiscal years.  Many of those claims involved injuries suffered by Luther employees because of slips, falls or lifting.  Human Resource Director Roy Prigge says the college has held training sessions for its employees on a variety of safety topics, including correct lifting techniques.  The school has worked with Cincinnati Insurance Company to develop a plan to reduce the claims.  Safety meetings also have been held for employees of Sodexo, the company that operates Luther's cafeteria.

As a result, the college's Workers Compensation claims for 2008-09 totaled $8,017. The preliminary figures for fiscal year 2009-10 also look very favorable.

Prigge says Luther officials aren't letting up, despite the good performances recently.  "We keep working on it—that's the key," he says.