Workers’ Comp Around the World
I caught up with Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson, William Zachry and Joe Paduda this week. Take a quick break with us and see what’s going on in the world of workers’ compensation…
Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson. Twitter @RosemaryMcKen13 Craig’s Table Graduates
Q. Rosemary, it’s been a while since we have talked! What have you been up to down under in Australia at Craig’s Table in the past month?
- I’m excited to report that we’ve had two groups graduate from Craig’s Table on July 6th!
- I also participated in a “Lunch and Learn” at a rehab provider.
- We have also had several training days at a workers’ compensation claims agent’s office.
Q. What issue, related to workers’ compensation, occupies your thoughts right now?
My work is based within the injured worker community and I am always looking for ways to promote different outcomes for people with a workplace injury, offering different ways to return to employment, to gain their self-confidence back and to move forward into a new post-injury life.
The graduation of these two small groups has set in place new options for many within the injured worker community here in Australia. Each of the graduates have exceeded even what they thought was possible for themselves.
Most people come in with the belief that they are as good as they will ever be again. Yet within a very short space in time they are laughing and smiling and from time to time even breaking out into song.
Two graduates have already moved into new employment since graduation. Both of these people have been on workers’ compensation for nearly five years!
Craig’s Table is a community-based training and social engagement program. It is a program written by an injured worker (me) for the benefit of all injured workers. It is focused on what can be done and how to modify training in order to achieve belief, respect and confidence. Our ultimate goal is to get injured workers back to leading a productive life.
William Zachry. Twitter @wzachry Thoughts from South Africa…I’m currently in South Africa working with children in Kliptown for a few weeks. During my visit to the Regina Mundi Catholic Church (where some of the Reconciliation Commission meetings took place) I noticed a large street sign with the following information:
“The Department of Labour’s Compensation Fund compensates for death caused by occupational injuries and diseases. The Compensation Fund services are freely available!”
It was interesting to see the Department of Labour Compensation Fund advertising that they provide benefits and asking people to contact them. Should we do the same in the USA?
Joe Paduda. Twitter @Paduda Joe’s quick take on workers’ compensation. Joe lives in beautiful upstate New York in Skaneateles. So for this post, he represents the US in the world of workers’ compensation…
1. Workers’ comp continues to shrink – premiums are down about 5 percent so far this year, frequency likely continuing it’s 28-year decline.
2. Winners will be the TPAs as insurers move away from big investments knowing their claim counts are declining. More will decide to make claims a “more” variable cost.
3. The wildcard is the Washington Amateur Hour. Tariffs are starting to impact agriculture and manufacturing – and will affect all the downstream and upstream industries such as logistics, transportation, suppliers and raw materials.
What are your thoughts on workers’ compensation? Drop me a line…I’d love to hear what you think. Yvonne Guibert. Twitter @buzzystreet