Let’s say you are a business owner and you own a bakery. Your employee, Ashley, is cleaning the floors at the end of the day. Next thing you know, she slips and is on the floor! Turns out that she hit her head pretty hard and has a concussion. As an employer, how do you make sure an employee, like Ashley, with a head injury is taken care of?

It is so important to treat your employees right after a head injury for so many reasons. For one, rushing back to work or pushing too hard too soon can result in worsening the head injury. This can affect the rest of their life in the long term. Secondly, rushing them can result in your employee quitting their job, and chances of them being hurt on the job increase.

What to consider after an employee has a head injury:

• Employees commonly have poor concentration, fatigue, and dizziness during the first few days. Limit high-risk decision making as this can affect mental health and the injury itself.
• Be cautious of your employee’s environment:
  • Limit light and visual stimulus
    • Dim screen lighting
    • Print as much as possible to decrease screen time
  • Noise
    • Limit music or constant background noise
    • Being in a room with multiple conversations happening can be stressful and should try to be avoided
  • Smell
    • Avoid extra scents like lotions, perfumes, and oils
    • Discard air fresheners and avoid areas with direct fumes
• Consider Return to Work opportunities like:
  • Project-based jobs that they can work on from home
  • Work that can be self-paced and allows for breaks
  • Work that is in a controlled environment
• Keep in mind that recovering from a head injury is a timely process. Supporting your employee is the best thing you can do to improve the process.
  • The CDC has a resource on symptoms after a brain injury. Feel free to read over these so you can look for signs after your employee has a head injury.

Recap

We created a poster that you can use as a resource. Feel free to print it out! At Direct Work Comp, we are always coming out with new resources and content. Our mission is to educate, but also make sure your work comp claims are managed. If you ever need help with workers’ compensation or workplace safety, reach out to us at [email protected]!

* Please note, that this article should not be taken as medical or legal advice. Please consult with a medical professional when it comes to anyone’s health.