Twelve hours after new workers comp rules came into effect, an accident on the way to work sent one public service manager sprawling. With the new laws, introduced by the Howard Government, public servants are no longer covered for accidents and injuries sustained traveling to and from work and during lunch breaks spent away from the workplace.
To read Annette's* story click here.
What do you think about the changes to compo laws? Post your comments below.
7 comments:
Re Your article about “Annette” and her injury on way to work, whilst I disagree with the changes to the compo laws, to suggest that these changes will cause obesity and stop people from walking to work is ridiculous. If someone is prepared to stop walking to work on the chance they may get injured, they may as well stay inside the house 24/7 and pad the walls. The simple fact is, accidents happen and people should take responsibility for them, You cannot blame everyone else just because it happened on the way to work, who would she blame if it happened on the way to the supermarket?
Of all the stories in todays CPSU news, this one stood out for me personally.
After having spent many years as an investigator on compensation litigation matters…I can only say that after so many years of false claims by 'fraudsters' in relation to these type of injuries, which often happened on the weekend during sport, afternoon sports training or just an accident at home have caused this to happen. These grubs would wait until the morning and then allege that it 'happened on the way to work'.
These people have ruined it for the geniune cases like Annettes…which is a real shame. I would'nt blame the government so much on this one, but on the people that took advantage of the system.
Regards,
Jon
This happened to my son. He is a not public servant but my point is that this can happen to anyone. I just want to show people that without these covers that it could ruin your lives for good. He is on workers compensation.
He had a major car accident on his way to work last May 2006. He nearly died and had broken almost every major bone in his body.
He was in hospital for five months. He is still not back at work and they think it will take another year or so to get back and then not fully. At the moment he has to catch cabs everywhere he goes as he cannot even drive yet as he has not fully recovered.
My point is that if this was me who works in the public service, I would of lost my house and everything else that is important to me. It costs $80 one way from where we live to the hospital for appointments. So this is $160 return just for a hospital appointment. These appointments are weekly sometimes two times a week when he was released from hospital. Then there is the physio, rehab, and just getting to the doctors.
Hire of wheelchair, crutches, toilet and shower aids. Fuel costs for visiting him every day while he was in hospital.
Without this compensation we would of had to find these costs out of our own pocket.
Workers compensation is so helpful in these cases I really appreciated what they have done for us but without them we are all in trouble. Something like this can happen to any one of us noone is spared.
I am scared.
Why is it the employers fault that Annette had her accident. Why should the company be penalized for higher workers compensation premiums and the loss of an employee's work capacity. As a union who has a balanced opinion on matters such as this I would thought that you could appreciate that there is always two sides to every story. In Annette's story she states that she will now consider not walking to work and having physical activitites because of this accident, this is burying her head in the sand as she can then join the rest of those obese Australians who don't have a healthy diet and active lifestyle. We should look outside the square with a positive attitude and work with cards that you are dealt with, not we expect everything for nothing.
I was playing social touch football with FaCSIA, Centrelink and Medicare Australia colleagues on Monday 7 May. This competition has been running nearly two decades, twice a week. I have participated 15 years as I am in a sedate desk job. About 10 minutes into the game and despite a warm up I tore my calf muscle. Another player helped me back to my work building and I applied ice and elevated my leg on a desk chair until I was fortunate to get in to see the family doctor the same day. The doctor referred me to physio. I have attended two sessions. I am unable to claim the physio fees back from Medicare Australia.
In the 15 years I have played I have only sprained my ankle twice and torn the calf muscle so when I compare the benefits to my physical and mental health and fitness, versus the injuries, I feel my lunchtime exercise definitely still comes out ahead.
I don't have a specific example to share but what I would like to know is why the CPSU have not been shouting out loud and clear about these changes!
Have you been doing so and the media (radio, tv and newspapers) just aren't interested in the story. What was the CPSU's campaign prior to the legislation being passed? I have alerted my staff to these changes after I read an email and I have noticed a small notice on our notice board on our level but I'm getting a clear impression Federal employees are not aware or if aware do not realise the full impact of these changes, at least here in the Dept of Immigration's Brisbane Office.
Why hasn't Rudd also been using this to alert the working masses...if the compo laws can be changed to effect Federal Government employees isn't it possible that the Howard government would push these through to all employees should he be reelected. I can't imagine the employees agreeing to that without a fight so while you have asked us members to do things, what has and is the CPSU doing? Would it not be in his interest to pursue this unless he agrees with the changes.
While in principle I don't have a problem with having employees obtaining income protection to cover injuries or illness outside of work, I am very annoyed that no loud and clear warning was provided by the government nor the CPSU about the pending changes to enable staff to enquire about and obtain income protection prior to the changes. It is a quagmire out there with all of the companies offering various levels and I am just learning the traps regarding what is really covered in their definitions of coverage. Is the CPSU looking at any assistance for their members in this area?
Seeing that our employer wants us to come to work, at a specific location, take our regular breaks & go home at the end of the day....we should be covered for these times. If our employer doesn't want to cover us for our trips to & from work or during our regular.....what would happen if we didn't come to work....how would they cope without a work force because they were too stingy to cover us coming to DO THEIR WORK.
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