You don’t kick someone, so the saying goes, when they’re down.

Unfortunately, around 20% of seriously injured or ill workers who get involved in Australia’s compensation systems suffer additional injury because the processes set up to help them rehabilitate and return to work aren’t well implemented. Researchers call this ‘process related injury’.

Process related injury may be sustained when already vulnerable workers are:

• Treated with impatience or suspicion;
• Ignored;
• Left to endure the frustrations of the process without sympathy or support; or
• Not given the information they need in order to navigate the medical, bureaucratic and administrative red tape of a workers’ comp claim.

Process related injuries are usually psychological. However, once a process related injury has been sustained it is also likely that the worker will find recovery from the initial injury more difficult, and face an up-hill battle to re-integrate with the workplace.

Case Study

Bob returns to work after a physical injury, but thanks to post-injury depression and some sleepless nights his performance suffers. One day, he feels unable to perform a regular duty that requires a great deal of concentration. He asks his supervisor to be excused for the afternoon, but is told that if he cannot perform his job he will be moved to a new position.

Bob finds his supervisor’s attitude upsetting and threatening. From his perspective, the situation could be resolved if he was told, “Okay. You’re not feeling too good today. Take the rest of the day off. ...See your doctor...and we’ll keep in touch and see how you’re going.”

Instead, Bob’s supervisor forces him out of his active job into a desk job. This leaves Bob feeling that his career prospects are down the gurgler. “I didn’t have an easy path with management,” he says, “my immediate supervisor and above.”

Soon afterwards, Bob is diagnosed with a process related psychological injury: adjustment disorder.

“I can say that if things had been different, if I had been treated more fairly over this process, it would have alleviated a huge pressure on my family,” Bob says. “I mean, I got to the stage here on several occasions that I contemplated suicide. It drove me that far; to despair.”

According to Dr Douglas Ezzy, a researcher from the University of Tasmania who has recently completed a large, three phase study of workers’ experience of the Tasmanian compensation system, employers play a key role in preventing process related injuries.

“The most important thing that employers can do is try and make sure that, from their end, the process is good. Make sure:

• That the worker is dealt with in a respectful and appropriate way;
• That the rehab program is properly implemented; and
• That the worker is supported and kept in contact with.”

Thanks very much to Dr Ezzy, who shared his knowledge of process related injuries with RTWMatters.

You might also be interested in another article based on the WorkCover Tasmania Long Term Benefits Study, which addresses the importance of claimant satisfaction with the system