Small Business Accounts Claims Specialist Beth Couette has worked at SFM for nine years, and in the workers’ compensation industry for 35 years. We asked Beth for some details about herself and her role.

You’ve been a workers’ compensation claims representative for many years now. Why have you chosen to stay working in this field?

I have always found this job to be interesting as no two claims are the same, therefore, every day is different. It's also nice being able to help somebody through the work comp process.

How would you describe your role?

My job is helping people that have had a work comp injury get back to their pre-injury condition with as little disruption to their lives as possible. Another big part of my job is guiding our insureds through the claims process as most small business owners haven’t had a lot of experience with workers’ compensation claims.

How is SFM different from other carriers that you’ve worked for over the years?

I was so impressed the first week I started at SFM as I happened to pass our CEO at the time and he welcomed me and knew my name! I thought, “Oh, this is really different. This is going to be a really nice company to work for.” My first impression was correct, it has been a great place to work for the last almost 10 years. There are also so many resources that we have available to us — in-house legal, physician advisors, claims techs, etc. I also like the fact that we work in teams, with claims and underwriting working alongside of each other.

Is there a time that stands out to you when your job was particularly rewarding?

It's nice to get feedback from an injured worker stating that they appreciate all the work you've done for them during their claim. I got an email recently from an injured worker who had two surgeries and had been out of work for almost two years, and we finally got a discharge for him to return to work. The email stated how much he appreciated everything we had done for him. That was really nice to hear. It makes the job worthwhile.

What do you like about your job?

It can be a very emotional and hard time when you've been injured on the job, so it's nice being able to help somebody get through that rough time and get them back on their feet.

What words of wisdom do you have for small business employers?

It’s important to get first reports of injury into SFM as soon as possible (especially if they are lost time) because we have time limits from the state that start when the employer learns of the injury. The sooner we can get that claim, the sooner we can get going on investigating, taking statements and gathering medical information. It also helps when they're able to give us as much information as possible, like how the injury happened and what the employee was doing at the time, etc. Also, if they have any concerns on the claim, let us know up front and as soon as possible so that we can explore those concerns. Another thing I think that's important is for the employer to keep in contact with the injured employee — to periodically check in with them if they're off of work to find out how they're doing and express that they’re looking forward to having them back.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I love to travel, whether it be across the United States or short road trips. I like to read. I love pretty much all sports, whether watching on TV or going to sporting events. My kids are adults now but I love to spend time with them.

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