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Compact with Texans

The Compact with Texans describes the State Office of Risk Management’s (SORM’s) customer service standards, customer service principles, and SORM’s procedures for responding to public contacts and complaints.

Mission

SORM will provide active leadership to enable State of Texas entities and boards of higher education (entities) to protect their employees, the general public, and the state’s physical and financial assets by reducing and controlling risk in the most efficient cost-effective manner.

Services

SORM will achieve its mission through two main services:

Enterprise Risk Management

SORM provides risk management, insurance, and business continuity services to our client state entities. Enterprise Risk Management has three distinct components: Risk Management, Continuity of Operation Program, and the Insurance Purchasing Program.

SORM’s risk managers conduct consultations and in-depth reviews to evaluate client state entities’ mitigation strategies.

SORM’s statewide continuity coordinators advise and review client entities’ continuity plans. The continuity plan review provides insight and analysis to improve continuity planning at the client entity level.

The insurance purchasing program provides an array of insurance coverages designed to address catastrophic risks faced by the State. SORM’s insurance managers oversee the transfer of risks to highly rated insurance companies, with coverage tailored specifically to the unique risks of program participants.

Workers’ Compensation

SORM is designated by statute as the workers’ compensation carrier for the State of Texas government employees. SORM is responsible for accurately and timely paying medical and indemnity benefits when a compensable on-the-job injury occurs.

Customer Service

Principles

SORM will act in accordance with the highest standard of ethics, fairness, accountability and humanity for our entity clients. Customer service is a cornerstone of our mission. In order to provide high-standard customer service, SORM will:

  1. Act as a full-service organization providing risk management, insurance, and continuity of operations resources for client state entities;
  2. Treat our clients, injured workers, and others with courtesy and respect;
  3. Seek customer service input from client entities, injured workers, and other relevant persons to better tailor services to their needs;
  4. Identify and anticipate our client entities’ and injured workers’ customer service needs;
  5. Meet and exceed customer expectations by delivering quality services;
  6. Respond promptly, accurately, and informatively to our client entities, injured workers, and others;
  7. Optimize systems, operations, processes, and staffing to lessen customer wait times and improve customer service satisfaction;
  8. Work collaboratively and assist our client entities with meeting strategic objectives;
  9. Treat every customer interaction as a learning experience and an opportunity to evaluate customer service principles;
  10. Review customer service principles and standards regularly and frequently.

Standards

In order for SORM to act on its principles, SORM will:

  1. Strive to understand our customers;
  2. Continuously find ways to improve our customer services;
  3. Employ courteous, trained, and knowledgeable staff who respect and appreciate our client entities, injured workers, and others;
  4. Empower staff to make decisions that resolve customer service issues;
  5. Follow consistent protocols for efficiency and responsiveness;
  6. Communicate simply, accurately, and reliably;
  7. Strive to handle each customer service request as expeditiously as possible;
  8. Implement necessary changes to systems and processes to decrease customer wait times and enhance customer experiences;
  9. Improve the quality of services through technology and innovation;
  10. Create self-service opportunities;
  11. Constantly improve the coordination and dissemination of information;
  12. Actively seek customer service input to identify opportunities to improve the delivery of services.

Complaint Process

A. Complaint

A complaint is a written statement regarding a matter that:

  • SORM has authority to resolve
  • Concerns a SORM program, policy, procedure, operation, or action
  • Concerns an action or operation of a SORM employee or contractor
  • Requests or implies that SORM respond or take some action

B. Informal Resolution

First, please attempt to resolve your complaint, inquiry, or concern by contacting the appropriate department or program. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction at this level, you may then contact SORM’s Customer Relations Representative (CRR) using one of the following methods:

Mail: P.O. Box 13777, Austin, Texas 78711

Fax: (512) 463-6048

Email: CRR@sorm.texas.gov

Please include your name and contact information: either a mailing address or email address. Provide as much detail about the subject matter of the complaint as you can, including the date(s), time(s), and name(s) of the SORM staff members you have spoken with. Please state the specific action or measure you are requesting of SORM.

Your complaint is potentially a public record that can be obtained by members of the public through an open records request.

C. Complaint Procedure

SORM will promptly assess all complaints within its jurisdiction and make every reasonable effort to resolve a complaint.

SORM’s CRR is responsible for responding to customer service concerns. When the CRR receives a complaint, it is forwarded to the appropriate department or program for review and/or investigation.

A complex complaint may take more time to review and investigate. If the review and investigation take more than 60 days, SORM will provide an update to keep all parties reasonably informed.

All parties will be notified of the outcome of the review and/or investigation.

Note: The policies and procedures outlined above do not apply to a workers’ compensation claim, a vendor protest, a SORM employee’s complaint, or a routine inquiry or request for information.

D. Complaints Not Related to SORM’s Services

If SORM receives a complaint that is not related to its statutory responsibilities, SORM will, whenever feasible, provide you with contact information for the entity that has authority over the subject matter of the complaint.

E. Complaints Related to Workers’ Compensation

If a complaint or concern is related to a workers’ compensation claim, then the complaint or concern must be reported to the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC). All such complaints are handled pursuant DWC’s statutes, rules, and administrative processes.

Complaints or concerns related to services within a network should be communicated to the appropriate network.

F. Reporting Waste, Abuse or Fraud

If you need to report a potential incident of waste, abuse or fraud, please visit the State Auditor’s Office’s website.

G. Workplace Hazard or Unsafe Condition

If you need to report a workplace hazard or an unsafe condition at your agency, please contact your agency’s Risk Manager or call the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Safety Violations Hotline.

Surveys

SORM uses surveys to gain information on various aspects of its services and how those services are delivered. If you would like to complete a survey to provide feedback, please see our “How Did SORM Do” page.