George Stathopoulos, National Administration Manager, Select-O-Pedic Bedding

1.     How long have you been working with P2 Group?

We have worked alongside P2 Group since October, 2006.

2.     Why did you engage the services of P2 Group?

We engaged the services of P2 Group to reduce our WorkCover Premium.  We were substantially above our industry rate and this was impacting on our bottom line.  We needed assistance to resolve our WorkCover claims and implement strategies to improve our internal processes in the way we manage our WorkCover and reduce our premium.

3.     P2 Group prides itself on its ability to listen to its clients regarding their business needs and business aims and its commitment to then work closely with clients to meet and achieve them.  Tell us about the P2 Group approach from your perspective.

P2 Group takes the time to understand our business requirements and work closely with us to merge their injury management process with our own internal systems.  They have been able to clearly explain the complexities of the WorkCover system and demonstrate how our premium is impacted and how we can reduce this.  This has enabled us to be much more informed when making decisions in relation to the subject of WorkCover.

4.     Was the implementation of the P2 Group injury and prevention management processes straightforward?

By engaging P2 Group, WorkCover has become much easier to deal with and is no longer a ‘headache’.  P2 Group do the ground work for us and have been able to place us in control of WorkCover.  Our processes our now streamlined and uniform for all of our worksites across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.   Having P2 Group closely aligned to our business has resulted in the up-skilling and education of our managers.  This has resulted in improved internal responses to injuries and has shifted our focus to injury prevention and the identification of early warning signs of injury.

5.     By working with P2 Group how has your understanding of the Workers’ Compensation system improved?

P2 Group has been critical in the education process of Select-O-Pedic Bedding in relation to the key drivers of our claims costs and WorkCover Premium.  P2 Group provide us with quarterly People Performance Plans to demonstrate to us the improvements obtained in our WorkCover premium, provide us with a budget for our WorkCover and highlight areas of further improvement and the financial benefit of these improvements.  P2 Group has demonstrated to us the importance of a consistent uniform process when managing work-related and non work-related injuries and has highlighted to us the importance implementing a robust documentation trail when managing claims.  Prior to implementing the services of P2 Group we implemented the standard approach to managing our claims which resulted in a lack of control and increasing WorkCover Premiums.  P2 Group has provided Select-O-Pedic Bedding with internal control, saved us time and has significantly reduced our WorkCover Premium.

6.     What cultural changes have you noticed in your line managers and employees in relation to the subject of injury and prevention management at your organisation?

We were unsure as to how to handle our WorkCover claims and implement injury prevention strategies.  P2 Group educated our managers in how to identify early warning signs of illness or injury and implement early intervention plans, which blocked future economic loss.  Our managers and staff are happier as everyone is aware that we now have suitable strategies and services in place to assist at the earliest opportunity.  This has resulted in our claim rates, lost time and WorkCover Premium significantly reducing.

7.     Do you have any final words that sum up how you feel about P2 Group, its team and its services?

P2 Group’s service is second to none.  They have saved us time, effort and money and I would highly recommend the P2 Group to any company who wants to reduce their WorkCover premium and implement early intervention strategies within the workplace.