Case Study: Injured, but not at work. What to do?
Workers with injuries sustained away from work may be tempted to protect their financial interests by lodging a compensation claim anyway. Dr Wyatt describes how support and boundaries can help.
Joe, a 45-year-old storeman, fractured his left thumb in an injury mowing his lawn at home. A thumb fracture can take months to heal. Six weeks after Joe's accident, his specialist cleared him to return to modified duties, not lifting over 10 kg. Joe rang the human resources department, keen to resume work. He had run out of sick leave within two weeks of his injury. This prompted the workplace to consider how they should deal with injuries no...