Injured teachers’ experiences of the Victorian workers’ compensation stress claims process: Adversarial and alienating

Pollard, Wendy May

doi:10.1080/14461242.2014.11081965

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…These results substantiate previous research highlighting power differentials between claimants and the workers' compensation system, and build upon previous injured workers' accounts of de-legitimization, coercion and stigmatization perpetrated by compensation system actors 4,34,35 occurring elsewhere in Canada. Moreover, the mental health impacts of the WSIB process described by participants lend support to previous injured worker studies describing feelings of frustration, helplessness and hopelessness resulting from "adversarial" and unjust workers' compensation experiences, 3,[34][35][36][37][38] and the consequent negative ramifications of these processes and experiences on career plans, hobbies and community involvement, finances and mental health of claimants. 30,31,36,[38][39][40] We also found some very preliminary evidence that stress related to claims and appeals was different across groups.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Experiences, impacts and service needs of injured and ill workers in the WSIB process: evidence from Thunder Bay and District (Ontario, Canada)

Noël

Scharf

Hawkins

et al. 2022

Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can

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Introduction Individuals experience negative physical, social and psychological ramifications when they are hurt or become ill at work. Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is intended to mitigate these effects, yet the WSIB process can be difficult. Supports for injured workers can be fragmented and scarce, especially in underserved areas. We describe the experiences and mental health needs of injured and ill Northwestern Ontario workers in the WSIB process, in order to promote system improvements. Methods Community-recruited injured and ill workers (n = 40) from Thunder Bay and District completed an online survey about their mental health, social service and legal system needs while involved with WSIB. Additional Northwestern Ontario injured and ill workers (n = 16) and community service providers experienced with WSIB processes (n = 8) completed interviews addressing similar themes. Results Northwestern Ontario workers described the impacts of workplace injury and illness on their professional, family, financial and social functioning, and on their physical and mental health. Many also reported incremental negative impacts of the WSIB processes themselves, including regional issues such as “small town” privacy concerns and the cost burden of travel required by the WSIB, especially during COVID-19. Workers and service providers suggested streamlining and explicating WSIB processes, increasing WSIB continuity of care, and region-specific actions such as improving access to regional support services through arm’s-length navigators. Conclusion Northwestern Ontario workers experienced negative effects from workplace injuries and illness and the WSIB process itself. Stakeholders can use these findings to improve processes and outcomes for injured and ill workers, with special considerations for the North.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Experiences, impacts and service needs of injured and ill workers in the WSIB process: evidence from Thunder Bay and District (Ontario, Canada)

Noël

Scharf

Hawkins

et al. 2022

Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can

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“…Nonetheless, most found their intrinsic perception of good service delivery was unmet, thus causing distress. Their experience is consistent with vulnerable people participating in other bureaucratic processes without having adequate information or understanding to do so, also with detrimental consequences to their well-being (Matthews et al, 2011;Murgatroyd et al, 2015;Pollard, 2014;Kilgour et al, 2015). For instance, not understanding what they needed to do for their claim was reported as "highly stressful" by workers' compensation claimants (Grant et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…The study findings indicate that funds/insurers should adopt a person-centred, humanistic approach, rather than continue corporate-rationalist imperatives described in other insurance schemes (Pollard, 2014). Person-centeredness is applied in the health and disability arena to foster supportive relationships between service providers and service users; mutual respect and empathy underpin a person-centred culture (Dewing and McCormack, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Claimants’ views on total and permanent disability insurance claims

Black

Matthews

Millington

2019

QRFM

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Purpose This study aims to investigate Australian claimants’ experience of the total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance claims process and documents their recommendations for improvement. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was used. In all, 12 claimants with finalized TPD claims were recruited via their superannuation fund. Data collected from in-depth interviews were thematically analyzed and reported using the COREQ checklist. Extracts from verbatim transcription were included to represent the claimant without bias. Findings Most interviewees described a flawed claims process in which important information was withheld or unclear, procedures were complicated and arduous, communication was poor and frequent need for “chasing up” was frustrating. The claims process undermined the well-being of many interviewees at a critical time in their adjustment to disability. Lump sum payment yielded unexpected consequences for ten interviewees. Some interviewees retained a desire to work despite serious disability. Research limitations/implications The use of purposive sampling means that findings may not represent the experience of all claimants with finalized TPD claims. Saturation of knowledge was reached despite the relatively small number of in-depth interviews conducted. In the absence of previous research, this study identifies areas of concern in the TPD claimant experience and posits a set of important claimant issues for further investigation. Practical implications A person-centred approach is needed. Claimants would benefit from introduction of clear process information, a single point-of-contact throughout claim, advocacy/support and rehabilitation. Originality/value This inaugural study provides an understanding of challenges faced by TPD claimants. All interviewees provided suggestions for improvement in the TPD claims process.

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Scoping review of claimants’ experiences within Australian workers’ compensation systems

Dean¹,

Matthewson²,

Buultjens³

et al. 2019

Aust. Health Review

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The aim of this scoping review was to map the literature on the lived experiences of injured workers in Australia in order to better understand the factors that inhibit the transition back to work and improved health. The ultimate aim of the study was to identify areas for further research into workers' compensation systems and practices that are associated with improved occupational rehabilitation outcomes. PubMed, ProQuest, Embase and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched for eligible articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals from 2001 to 2017. Narrative data synthesis was used to analyse the data collected from included articles. Twelve articles examining injured workers' experiences within Australian workers' compensation systems were identified. Injured workers reported similar experiences across states and territories in Australia. Four common themes and three subthemes were noted, namely: (1) relationships and interactions; (2) injured workers' perceptions (subthemes: mental health effects, social effects and financial effects); (3) the workers' compensation process; and (4) independent medical evaluations. There are common difficulties that injured workers experience within Australian workers' compensation systems that are reported to impede rehabilitation and return to work. A less harmful, more cooperative approach to worker rehabilitation and compensation is needed. Different workers' compensation systems exist throughout Australia. Little is known about injured workers' perceptions of their experiences within these systems in Australia and whether these experiences are similar or different across systems. This scoping review synthesises available evidence showing that injured workers report negative experiences of workers' compensation systems, and that this experience is similar across the different systems. This review also identified a clear need for future research on workers' compensation systems in order to promote evidence-based approaches to best support the occupational rehabilitation of injured workers. Evidence suggests a more holistic, biopsychosocial approach is required by practitioners when facilitating an injured worker's recovery and return to work. This approach is also vital when considering legislative reforms, such as workers' compensation systems, processes and practices.

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Injured teachers’ experiences of the Victorian workers’ compensation stress claims process: Adversarial and alienating

Cited by 6 publications

References 7 publications

Experiences, impacts and service needs of injured and ill workers in the WSIB process: evidence from Thunder Bay and District (Ontario, Canada)

Experiences, impacts and service needs of injured and ill workers in the WSIB process: evidence from Thunder Bay and District (Ontario, Canada)

Claimants’ views on total and permanent disability insurance claims

Scoping review of claimants’ experiences within Australian workers’ compensation systems

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