Monday Muses ~ "what is workers compensation greatest risk/fear?"
Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson
Founder at Craig's Table- Recipient Summa Comp Laude 2021-22 Recipient Bloom Making a Difference Award 2023
Everyone who knows me knows I played and still love basketball. As I sit here, on the shelf in front of me is one of my favourite basketballs.
I played baseline defense, from the baseline the court is seen and read, it is also where games [no matter what the 'game" is is won or lost.
One of my on high repeat movies is Coach Carter. Coach Carter took a set of players and turned them into a team. I love this scene, because it resonates with me on countless levels.
All too often I keep hearing that members of the injured worker community are broken beyond any reason, and that they are destined for the human scrap heap. Workers compensations greatest fear is that as a collective the injured worker community will rise together and say [remaining polite] sod off,
I could sit here for the next week and still not have enough time to list all the "re-framing" I have seen members of the injured worker community take on life with both hands and gusto all because they were "given permission" [that they did not require because it was always their right in the first place] to go forward and grow through adversity. I have seen pediatric nurses retraining and become nurse practioners, I have seen a long-haul transport driver leave the transport industry to become a podiatrist; I have seen a retail manager go to university and become a tour operator specialising in travel for people with physical challenges. I have seen a factory worker become a leading IT specialist.
Each person has a story that has every right to be heard to be celebrated to hold up as a model to follow.
Members of the injured worker community are no different to anyone else, they have plans they have dreams, they have goals, and they have the right to live their own life, change careers, change where they live, change how they live and change who they live with.
Yet time after time after time the workers compensation system requires everything to remain stagnant; members of the injured worker community are meant to shut their lives down in order to accommodate an outdated system that was never fit for purpose in the first place.
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There is a reason I brought this up this evening.
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Callie* graduated last week, Callie* is now an accountant looking forward to starting her new career with a medium size accountancy business. Callie* was written off by the workers compensation system after sustaining "industry known" injuries working as a hairdresser.
I remember asking Callie* "where are you going and what do you need to get there?" Callie* could not even lift her head to look at me, she said she had always wanted to be an accountant, she was good with numbers, she liked do bookwork etc, hairdressing was an apprenticeship that she had taken up straight out of high-school.
Together we looked around, found an entry level accountancy course, she gained confidence, and she had set backs. Every set back was seen as a hurdle that needed another attempt, every success was seen as a stepping stone over a divide that was not of her making.
What annoyed me the most was when the rehab said to Callie* "your injuries will make it impossible for anyone to employ you, no one will want to see the leg braces or allow you to sit for as long as you need, and no one will want to see the wrist braces, or allow you the time to do the daily exercises" the rehab was stuck in the belief that Callie* had no other options, she would leave workers compensation on go onto the scrap heap and onto a disability pension.
Callie* and I decided that the night classes and the on-line training was just our secret, Callie* complied with everything that was required by her workers compensation claim, she went to every RTW programme that was required, she maintained her medical programmes, and she rebuilt her life around her own dreams and her own goals.
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Again; the workers compensation systems great fear is that the injured worker community will understand they have the right to return to employment regardless of what the workers compensation system tells them. That time is coming.
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Over the last few months the talk has turned to the need for a help/support line for the injured worker community. I have been asked what my thoughts are, and what would be required/what would be the costs involved of setting such a line in place.
As I have said to each person who has asked the largest upfront cost will be the computers and the computer process required, followed by the writing of the training programmes and then the training, followed by insurances and constant skills upgrades.
All of it is mud-mapped out, it just needs the corporate citizens to understand that when Shattered is released members of the injured worker community all over Australia are going to "see" themselves in different parts of the docuseries. They are going to go through every emotion and they are going to grieve, suddenly all the ambiguous feelings will make stark sense to them and they will need a support channel.
I know the tsunami that is coming. It is not going to be easy, but it will be a lot harder without a support process.
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Place Holder
Heal Retreat will be held on the 1st June 2025 International Injured Worker Day
All the details are being worked out, however if you would like to be a part of this event please send and email to [email protected]
领英推荐
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Conferences-Panels-Training-Webinars-Industry Groups 2025
Call for Papers
Envisioning and Exploring Recovery from Moral Injury An interdisciplinary conference Durham, United Kingdom 7-9 April 2025 Paper required Friday 6 December 2024.
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Podcast/Radio interview
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Today has been one of those Monday's when it has been one step forward and 15 steps back, hence I am truly running late. Now I need a cup of tea and then I will consider dinner.
Rosemary
Marlo has been spending time with his grandchildren over the weekend.
He thought that you may enjoy this old black and white movie.
Gregory Peter Rehn 1963-2014
Greg was a much loved son, brother, uncle and friend- I miss the chats and banter Greg and I shared. I miss the planned road trips we discussed both knowing that the trips would never be taken as brain cancer took hold and then stole Greg from all who knew and loved him.