When a worker files a claim for work compensation there is a chance it might get talked about. Gossip at work can sometimes lead to feelings of being judged or ridiculed just because they are on Work Cover.
This reaction is narrow-minded and unless a person has been in a position of suffering an injury as a result of negligence, how can they ever really know what it is like? People who haven’t suffered in work accidents or acquired workplace injuries cannot be in a position to relate.
When it comes to work compensation claims things are not black and white. Employers have an obligation under the law to have appropriate work systems and work procedures in place in order to prevent work accidents or a workplace injury from occurring. Failure to do so means they have broken the law. When work compensation laws have been broken, compensation is often awarded. To find out what you may be awarded call 1300 430 834.
Work compensation insurance cover (i.e. Work Cover) is compulsory in Australia and exists to support the worker and the employer. When an employee files a claim for work compensation it is the work compensation insurer who awards the benefits. Work compensation is not paid from your bosses pocket but by the insurance company.
Different workplaces have a different culture and if it is one of judgement then the staff may be unhappy in their work environment and resentful you are off work and receiving workers comp benefits.
What they may not remember in their haste to judge is how it feels to be in pain. Suffering pain and managing pain for any period of time is hard for anyone to fathom. On top of the pain some injured workers may feel shame. This shame may be felt by having lost a limb, or shame of having fallen from a ladder. Shame may be felt if a person is never able to walk or work again. These are serious consequences implicating the lives of individuals and their families is a serious and traumatic way.
When you are rehabilitating form workplace injuries and filing a worker compensation claim under common law, it is important to surround yourself with supportive friends or colleagues and steer clear of negative people. Negative people are not supportive and when it comes to getting your life back on track as best as you can. Negative people have little or no significance.
When you have suffered a workplace injury think about you not how your colleagues feel or how your boss feels – it is YOU who has suffered it is YOU who is most important personnel to consider.
