OhioBWC - Employer:  (Transitional Work) - Bonus program description
Transitional Work Bonus

Employers with a transitional work plan actively participate in the recovery and return to work of their employees. Injured employees can resume their work functions with minimal time off, and employers are better prepared to place an injured employee in a job or given work tasks consistent with any medical or physical restrictions. The cost benefits may include reducing compensation payments and lowering claims reserves. BWC now offers an additional benefit for employers with a transitional work plan participating in the Destination Excellence: Transitional Work Bonus Program.

Employers with an approved transitional work plan may receive a back-end bonus for using the plan to return injured workers back to work. The potential incentive is a 10-percent bonus for using an established transitional work program; applicable to claims with dates of injury within that bonus year of program participation.

Who's eligible
This program is available to any eligible state-fund private employers and public employer taxing districts.

Eligibility requirements

  • Be current with respect to all payments due BWC, as defined in the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 4123-17-14, paragraph (A)(3)
  • No cumulative lapses in workers' compensation coverage in excess of 40 days within the 12 months preceding the application deadline
  • Be in an active, policy status; active policy status does not include an employer with a coverage status of no coverage or lapsed
  • As of the application deadline, the employer must have reported actual payroll for the proceeding policy year and paid any premium due upon reconciliation of estimated premium with actual premium no later than the due date.
  • Continue to meet all eligibility requirements during participation in the program

How to apply
Use the Application for Transitional Work Bonus Program (TWB-1) You can submit your application via fax to 614-621-5758 or email transitional work support.

The deadline for receipt of the bonus application is:

  • Private employers - The last business day in May for the July 1 - June 30 program period;
  • Public employers - The last business day in November for the Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 program period.
Note: We will automatically renew participating employers that meet eligibility requirements for participation in the next program year. You can look up your program eligibility here. If you need to make changes to your contact information or to withdraw from participation, submit a written request to the BWC employer programs unit. We encourage participation in all BWC programs. When applying for other programs, employers should verify the other programs are compatible with Transitional Work Bonus program.

Plan requirements
Your next step is to submit evidence that your company has a transitional work plan. Several acceptable forms of documentation to show evidence your company has a transitional work plan:

  • A BWC transitional work grant plan developed between 2001 and 2006;
  • A company-created transitional work plan reviewed by BWC;
  • An approved BWC transitional work grant plan developed after July 1, 2012;
  • Copy of your company's transitional work policy from your human resources manual or employee handbook;
  • Signed letter from a company officer stating your company has a transitional work plan or your company is in the process of developing a BWC transitional work grant plan.
BWC must receive your plan verification within 30 days of the application deadline.

You can submit your transitional work plan via fax to 614-621-5758 or email transitional work support. Remember to include all of your company policy numbers in the email or on your fax cover sheet.

Participation requirements
BWC will evaluate all claims with injury dates that occur during the program period in which the employer elects to participate. Employers must be willing to accommodate the injured workers' restrictions with appropriate transitional work tasks when released to return to work by their physicians before they return to work full duty. Employers complete a Transitional Work Offer and Acceptance Form (TWB-2) or submits equivalent documentation for every eligible injured worker to demonstrate successful use of their program.

  • Eligible claim - One in which there's an actual return to work with restrictions for the job of injury
  • Successful use claim - The injured worker returns to work using a transitional work plan verified by the signed TWB-2 or equivalent documentation submitted to BWC by the snapshot date.
Note: The snapshot for the bonus calculation will be six months after the close of the program period. This allows injured workers with claims with a date of injury late in the program period to return to work using transitional work.

Program benefits
BWC will calculate an employer's performance bonus based upon the percentage of claims eligible and successful participation in transitional work. The percentage will be multiplied by a percentage of the employer's pure premium. The employer may receive up to a 10-percent bonus for using their transitional work program.

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