The Injured Workers Support Network of NSW has conducted a survey covering a range of injured workers. The preliminary results from their first 300 surveys have been compiled and revealed some important findings, which warrant serious consideration by the O’Farrell government…
Preliminary results of injured workers survey by the IWSN
Preliminary results of the Injured Workers Support Network’s first 300 returned surveys from injured workers …..
The results from the IWSN first 300 injured workers surveys have been compiled.The survey and subsequent interviews revealed a number of interesting and important findings that warrant serious consideration by the O’ Farrell government as they begin the make the workers compensation system even ‘meaner”.
The survey covered injured workers from a range of sectors including transport,warehousing and logistics, education, health, construction and the public service.
Preliminary results
- A comparison between pre and post injury earnings showed a s substantial drop in earnings
- 71% their partner had to increase/take up work in order to cope financially
- 37% had claims that were currently in dispute
- 59% of injured workers reported having contemplated suicide as a result of their injury
- 55% said their relationships had suffered significantly
- 34% said they were now separated or divorced
- 23% had been forced to change their living arrangements
- 16% were reliant on welfare and charity for assistance with everyday living expenses
- 65% reported their health was ‘much worse’ off than before their work related injury or illness
Recommendations:
Any new reforms must:
- SIMPLIFY the claims management processes and force insurers to deal with workers in a humane and respectful way.
- MAINTAIN the ability to make a journey claim for those injured on the way to and from work
- MAINTAIN payments and treatment for those still ill or injured –way beyond 2 years suggested in the Issues Paper
- FORCE employers to genuinely attempt to return the injured to work
- ENSURE lump sum payments are available to injured workers
- ENSURE step downs in payments do not form part of the reforms as this will lead to further losses of peoples homes and families
- Make sure injured workers are not worse off!!
Please leave your comments on their survey as posted on the IWSN website.
What do you think of this?
I would have to say that a sample of 300 offers a very reliable indicator of the true state of affairs. Even as more surveys are processed the likelihood of any major changes in these results will be relatively minor and therefore insignificant – the larger the sample (and this is a large one) the lower the margin of error.
I must say we would agree with those results and can confirm that through our interaction with injured workers via our blog, we have basically come to the same conclusions.
Everyday we receive absolutely gut-wrenching stories from injured workers, via email but also a lot via our forum. What I read on there puts me in tears everyday… It makes me feel so impotent and I wish I could have a magic wand to take the suffering away.
Most injured workers keep telling us that they are “maimed and mutilated’ (they use those words) by the workcover system and its agents (insurers). Most are destitute, in desperate need of basic care and feel utterly hopeless. Most develop serious secondary psychological injuries, the main one being severe depression and anxiety. Some injured workers feel “on edge” 24/7, they feel extremely bullied, harassed and intimidated by their insurer, rehab providers [and their employer(s).] They can’t sleep, they feel startled when the phone rings (case manager/rehab) – they are truly frightened and find themselves in a “very dark “shit hole”" with very little (if any) hope. The main theme is that of a combination of having to deal with a life changing event (the injury and its aftermath) together with constant harassment, bullying and intimidation (cutting of or denial benefits) from the insurer…
It’s outrageous…it’s sickening…it’s immoral.
As someone recently posted on our forum:
“I simply would not have believed what goes on unless I had seen it with my own eyes. Workcover is NOT about helping injured workers.
Workcover injures injured workers.”
yep id front up to ofarrell and say please consider such a nice work full of meaning like you dumb fuck politicians rip apart our country our people our system for justice for workers comp stop listening to the pricks you pay big bucks to advise the goverment of the day and for fuck sake the turd from ALLIANZ knows jack shit about mending broken people so ofarrell why do you listen to the real people i and may others here will give to you straight and the best part its FREE like fuck bazza ive saved you some money