Posted in News and Events
A recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) interviewed 4,800 workers from across 12 states, including Wisconsin, to see if they had a fear of losing their job after experiencing an injury in the workplace.
In the interviews with injured workers across the country, workers were asked to either “strongly agree,” “somewhat agree,” “somewhat disagree,” or “strongly disagree,” with the statement “I was concerned that I would be fired or laid off.” Depending on the state, 18% to 33% of workers strongly agreed that they feared being fired when injured (Victor, 2015).
Where does this fear come from?
This fear can stem from several factors. Everything from personal expenses, to duration of a workers’ disability, to large earning losses, can impact the fear of holding onto a job. But the biggest factor, according to the study, is low trust between a worker and their supervisor.
You shouldn’t have to be afraid of losing your job
Trust between an employer and employee is very significant – especially if an employee is injured in the workplace. Workers should feel safe at work, feel comfortable with their access to medical care, and trust that they will be able to return to work once they have recovered.
The WCRI’s study found that workers who were not concerned with being fired after injury were more satisfied with medical care, and were less concerned about earning losses while away from work.
We are here to help
If you were injured at work, and have any concerns or fears about keeping your job, we’re here to help. You should feel comfortable with everything from your medical visits to being ready to return to your job. Don’t hesitate – contact us today.
