Connection: The Missing Metric in Workers’ Compensation
In 2025, as Generative AI continues to rise, the question of whether AI will replace human jobs persists. However, after two decades in the workforce, spanning leadership, education, and workers’ compensation, it’s clear that the more pressing concern is losing our humanity in the process of optimizing everything else.
The conversation around empathy, emotional intelligence, and human connection is ubiquitous, from keynote stages to college classrooms. These elements are not just desirable; they are the cornerstone of being seen, supported, and ultimately healing, especially in workers’ compensation. A recent Harvard Business Review article highlighted the surge in AI adoption, with significant efficiency gains in writing assistance, data analysis, and administrative automation. In the insurance and workers’ compensation sectors, AI tools support claims triage, predictive analytics, and decision-making.
While AI can process information faster and flag inconsistencies, it falls short in listening for what’s not being said. AI cannot sense when to ask an injured worker how they’re feeling or understand when someone needs reassurance, patience, or kindness. The energetic exchange between two human beings remains priceless.
Workers’ compensation is still a human experience. When someone gets injured at work, their world changes instantly. They are not just a claim or a file; they are human beings navigating a deeply emotional experience. The most powerful moments that transform lives are about people and connection, not just processes.
The data is clear: we are disconnected. Despite having numerous social media platforms and technological ways to stay connected, people feel unappreciated, lonely, and isolated. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory in 2023 named loneliness and isolation as a public health crisis. Work culture is life culture, and the quality of relationships at work is deeply intertwined with overall well-being.
Leadership, education, and knowing people individually are crucial. The best leaders create psychological safety, trust, and consistent connection. In education, practices like ‘Three Good Things’ build trust and rapport. In workers’ compensation, asking ‘How are you?’ and actively listening can humanize a dehumanized system.
To change the workers’ comp industry, we need to stay human. As systems become more automated, our approach must become more compassionate. Creating space for connection in a world built for speed is essential. Whether you’re a claims professional, employer, provider, or policymaker, you have the power to shape how people feel during vulnerable times.
Simple actions like a kind voice, a well-timed call, or a text message can make a significant difference. Effort is key to making authentic connections happen. Let Gen AI do what it does best, but never forget the irreplaceable human element.
Workers’ compensation is about people, not just insurance and claims. Connection is a sought-after leadership skill, cultural strategy, and healing mechanism. It allows us to move from transactional to transformational, from oversight to impact, from compliance to compassion. We need to double down on emotional intelligence, train teams in empathy, and measure success not just in metrics but in how supported people feel.
At the end of the day, what people will remember most is how we make them feel. And connection is our superpower.
