If you are a Florida business owner, you know the value of workers’ compensation insurance. Even if the government did not require you to carry an appropriate level of coverage for your business, you would choose to do so because you know that sometimes accidents are unavoidable.
One thing that frustrates you, however, is when employees claim an injury happened on the job, but you are not sure they are being completely honest with you. What can you do to prevent workers’ compensation fraud from taking place on your watch?
Create a cooperative work environment
This is a great question and one that the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud can help answer. What the Coalition emphasizes is creating a cooperative, satisfying workplace: “A happy workforce reduces the odds of workers’ comp fraud at your business.”
That makes sense because if your employees enjoy their work, feel camaraderie on the job and develop loyalty to their colleagues and supervisors, the chances of them wanting what is best for the organization are high.
If, on the other hand, the workplace environment is often negative, workers are often at odds with one another and supervisors treat subordinates poorly, the chances you will cultivate loyalty are slim to none.
Spread the word that fraud is intolerable
What else can you do, besides building a cooperative and satisfied workforce? The Coalition suggests letting everyone know your limits: “Be clear that you [will not] tolerate fraud.” Often, when individuals know where the boundaries are, they will choose to stay within them. If they know the risks of committing fraud are greater than the benefits, they may choose not to take the risk.
