The News You Need for April 27
Loneliness in workers' compensation and Nebraska COVID gets attention from WorkersCompensation.com today.
The Impact of Loneliness in the Workplace and Workers’ Compensation
Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -- Loneliness has long been considered an individual problem but has become a widespread social epidemic. In May 2023, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy officially recognized this issue. The rise of loneliness has been seen historically, a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it presents a unique challenge, especially in the context of labor mobility and workers' compensation. As workplaces evolve with the increase in remote work options and digital communication tools, the problem of isolation becomes more pronounced. This isolation impacts employee well-being and productivity, and it is not just an individual concern but also significantly affects organizational operations and the macroeconomics of workers' compensation. Addressing loneliness within this framework requires a nuanced understanding of its causes, its effects on the workforce, and the development of effective strategies to reduce its impact.
Understanding the Epidemic
There are many reasons why people feel isolated nowadays. Social scientists believe that the norms of community engagement have changed over the years, and fewer people are participating in group activities or sharing common spaces. Digital communication has also significantly reshaped our interaction patterns, replacing face-to-face communication. Some people think that the decline in religious affiliation has led to a reduction in community ties. Changes in parenting styles and political climate have also broken down traditional social bonds that have historically fostered connectivity.
The impact of the loneliness epidemic is profound, and it affects physical, psychological, cognitive, and social health. According to researchers at Brigham Young University, the consequences of loneliness on health can be compared to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. The effects are profound: shorter life expectancy, cognitive decline, increased psychological conflict, and decreased performance in professional and educational environments. At the social level, loneliness increases division. It fosters polarized communities, with increased distrust and reduced empathy, leading to racial, religious, and ethnic tensions. The lack of socialization undermines social cohesion and community resilience, making it difficult for people to work together and support each other in times of need.
Loneliness and Workers' Compensation
In the workers' compensation field, understanding and addressing loneliness can significantly impact the outcome of claims. Employees who feel isolated not only suffer more frequent and severe mental health problems but also report more instances of physical illnesses, worsening their overall health problems. This results in more extended recovery periods, which can be costly to employers in terms of direct compensation costs and lost productivity. Interestingly, the antidote is just as innate as the problem: connection. Humans are biologically programmed to form social relationships, a fact supported by Charles Darwin's observations about the survival of communities and a large-scale study from Harvard University that directly links relationships to health and happiness. Thus, encouraging a connected workplace can lead to healthier, more engaged, and more productive employees, ultimately benefiting both individuals and the organization.
Building Relationships in the Workplace
Fostering connections in the workplace can significantly improve organizational health and reduce workers' compensation claims. Jane Dutton's "high-quality connections" concept highlights the importance of promoting interpersonal, positive, and energetic interactions, even if they are brief. These moments of connection can transform the workplace environment, improving employees' emotional and mental well-being. Barbara Frederickson's theory of "subtle moments of connection" also goes in this direction, showing how even fleeting exchanges such as a smile or kind words between coworkers can provide a positive emotional reservoir, boosting morale and productivity. Can. When employees feel engaged, they are more likely to feel valued and understood, reducing their stress levels and increasing their work engagement.
Engaging in group activities, such as coordinated physical activities or shared tasks, introduces another layer of connections that David DeSteno calls "motor synchrony." This phenomenon, which involves moving to the rhythm of others through exercise, dance, or team-building activities, can significantly increase compassion among coworkers. Such synchronous activities improve personal relationships within the team and enhance group cohesion, making collaboration more effective. Increasing compassion and understanding among team members can reduce workplace conflict and, by extension, related compensation claims. Fostering these types of relationships makes the workplace more pleasant and productive because employees who feel connected are more likely to contribute positively and support each other.
Strategy Implementation
Loneliness at work can be a significant risk factor and physical hazard, which can negatively impact the health and well-being of employees. Organizations should take a proactive approach to address this issue. By recognizing the severe consequences of social isolation, companies can prioritize developing and implementing strategies that foster meaningful employee relationships. These strategies can help reduce the individual burden of loneliness and have tangible benefits for organizational health and effectiveness. Human resources, business leaders, and workers' compensation professionals can be crucial in championing such initiatives. Creating a supportive environment that promotes connection can pave the way for a more engaged, productive, and happier workforce.
Here are some strategies that can help reduce the adverse effects of loneliness:
1. Encourage regular check-ins. Check-in helps create a supportive environment where people feel valued and recognized.
2. Use technology wisely. Encourage video calls to maintain face-to-face interactions.
3. Train on emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence training can help people better understand and meet the emotional needs of others. This education can cultivate awareness, leading to a more empathetic leadership style and reducing feelings of alienation.
4. Create transparency in communications. Communicate regularly with all employees about company news, updates, and changes. Openness in communication can reduce feelings of exclusion and build trust within the organization. This transparency also helps build trust with injured workers' on the healing road to recovery, as being upfront can alienate fears of the unknown.
5. Provide support resources. Provide access to counseling services or employee assistance programs that address mental health issues, including feelings of loneliness. Making these resources easily accessible and well-distributed ensures that people know where to seek help.
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What Do You Think: Was Nurse Liaison’s COVID-19 too Common to be ‘Occupational Disease’?
Chris Parker
Omaha, NE (WorkersCompensation.com) – In Nebraska, an ordinary disease of life that everyone is exposed to, such as the flu, is generally not a compensable occupational disease. But what if the disease goes from being rare to common? What point in time should employers and courts consider when deciding whether a disease is ordinary: the time it was contracted, or the time when the claim is made or the workers’ compensation case is litigated?
In one case, a nurse liaison worked in a critical care hospital just as the COVID-19 pandemic was expanding in the U.S., and was at its most dangerous. At the time, only 412 people had the disease in Nebraska. Her employer did not allow her to wear a mask at work, and she worked closely with many colleagues. She contracted the virus around March 2020 and suffered severe injuries and sought workers’ compensation benefits for an occupational disease.
The Workers’ Compensation Court denied her claim on the basis that, as of 2022, at the time of the litigation, the virus was so prevalent that it was an ordinary disease of life within the meaning of the WCA, and consequently not an occupational disease.
To establish a claim for occupational disease under the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Act, a worker must show that:
The statute does not require that an occupational disease be one that exists exclusively in the particular employment. Although the same diagnosis is also common in the community, a work-related injury may be compensable because the worker's particular employment has characteristics that greatly raise the worker's risk.
Was the nurse liaison’s COVID arguably an ‘"occupational disease"?
A.?No. Everyone in the public was at risk of getting it.
B. Yes.?It was rare to get it in Nebraska in March 2020
If you selected B, you agreed with the court in Thiele v. Specialty Medical Corporation,?No. S-23-022 (Neb. 04/19/24), which held that there was a genuine issue as to whether the claimant had an occupational disease.
The court stated that in COVID-19 cases claiming occupational disease, the proper focus for purposes of determining whether the illness is an ordinary disease of life is the period of exposure prior to contraction or onset of symptoms. Courts should not focus on whether the disease is ordinary at the time of litigation.
Here, the nurse liaison contracted the virus at a time when there were only 412 cases in the state and the virus was a deadlier strain than in 2022. Further, she worked closely with coworkers in a setting in which the virus was likely rampant and where she was prevented from wearing a mask.
“[I] could be construed that her particular work in early 2020 as a health care worker carried a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 than other employment and that she was more likely to suffer a serious infection because the early strain of COVID-19 was more virulent and resulted in more complications than later strains,” the court wrote.
The Workers’ Compensation Court erred by focusing on how prevalent the disease was in 2022. Because the claimant contracted it in early 2020, the Workers’ Compensation Court should have determined whether it was an ordinary disease of life at that time. Accordingly, the court reversed and remanded the case to the lower court.