A university professor unable to sit for extended periods. A social worker anxious to get back to work while closing out cancer treatments with ongoing radiation. A grocery store employee injured in a car accident. All three are but a few examples of how a consultative process established early on in a disability claimants’ journey helps keep both employees and employers financially secure and stable during times of transition.
In these three examples, the procuring of equipment and resources, the offering of alternative employment options, and the formulation of accommodative schedules, respectively, quickened the pace of these employees’ return-to-work. That’s why disability insurers continue to invest in and develop what is known as Stay at Work (SAW) and Return-to-Work (RTW) programming.
At Unum, a leading provider of workplace benefits and services, these efforts have had a significant impact. Where RTW services are utilized, the majority of employees with a disability claim return to work ahead of schedule, or they are out for a shorter duration compared to the average length of leave experienced by those not receiving these services.
Pivotal to SAW and RTW programs’ success has been creating a plan through direct communication – by phone, email, or text – with the impacted employee. Next, vocational resources proactively review claims to identify RTW opportunities. These include conducting accommodation research, making equipment recommendations, and/or coordinating on-site or virtual specialists who can work to aid employers in creating a more accessible work environment. Claims professionals also have access to medical professionals, who can view claim information simultaneously with the specialist, allowing real-time conversations about every aspect of the claim.
The success of these programs over the last two decades is why insurers continue to invest in them. Getting someone back into the workplace decreases the likelihood of a conversion to a long-term disability event and helps the employee get back to productive work and full pay more quickly.
A March 2025 study from the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) estimates that the federal budget savings attributable to private disability RTW programs alone will total $8.2 billion over ten years, when considering the reduction in a claimant’s alternate sources of income, such as government-funded programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
While an RTW plan is unique to each claimant’s occupation, skills, medical condition, and motivation, disability insurance providers – because of their offerings across a variety of products, employer sizes, and industries – have years of insights to create effective, customizable plans best-suited for their customers.
Behind the visible benefits to the employee, employer, and the government are the impacts on worker and workplace well-being. Creating an on-ramp to routine and stability after a life event helps workers preserve professional skills and strengthen self-esteem while combating isolation. Additionally, as colleagues see employers’ willingness to address complex challenges, awareness increases around flexibility and supports that are available to preserve employment.
Overall, the goal is to improve the prospect of long-term financial security for the employee and the employer while preventing the transition to long-term disability. That transition may sever the claimant’s relationship with their employer; the farther away a claimant gets from their known employment relationship, the more likely a smooth transition back to work is inhibited. The added benefits of prioritizing fiscal responsibility – lowering costs to the Social Security Disability Insurance program while returning workers to full earning potential – make these programs pivotal to the ongoing success of disability insurance and workforce productivity nationwide.
