If someone gets hurt at work, blame the one who was hurt…WHAT!?

Mods, please move if this doesn't fit the GCC. I thought it be could construed as a rant and it would fit well in either forum I think.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the job I do (Distribution) and the people I work with and the pay is great for what I do, but this is just plain wrong.

We had management come to the place where I work the other day and give a State of the Company address. We were gathered together and told the state of the company, how it is staying a profitable business and that profit sharing was to be expected this year. (This is a non-union company BTW)

Then they went on to Workman’s Comp claims. They told us that these claims come out of the profit shares…not insurance. I’m thinking to myself…WTF! I know that they have Employee Litigation Insurance as well as a Health care plan that the employees pay into.

They told us that many of the claims were the result of a forklift hitting a person, and then said that the dismounted person was at fault. Forklifts are heavy beasts and they don’t stop well on slippery concrete.

But the part timers are rarely allowed on nor trained on forklifts. The part timers are relegated to handjacks. And we have to work at a brisk pace or face termination. It is a business after all, I understand that.

One of the guys yesterday pulled me aside and told me to slow down otherwise I may get hurt, which is not good for the company. He was polite, but the bottom line is that he is worried about his share in my opinion, with good reason.

Fact is, he was speeding on the dock and I was in his blind spot. If I hadn’t ducked back into a trailer, he would have hit me. Speeding on the docks is commonplace and overlooked. I believe that it is even encouraged, as I said before, it is a fast paced business.

But management dividing full-time employees vs. part time employees hurts the business overall.

I’m now looking for another job since this is the way this company operates.

Wow. That is strange why would they do that? I am just a worker bee myself and never worked HR or managment. But why on this green Earth would they endorse such a plan? Accidents happen thats why they are called accidents...I don't get why they just wouldn't do work comp...?

-SAP-

reply to post by SloAnPainful


Because its cheaper, in the short haul.

My employer does the same thing. They belong to a group of uninsured business and are required by law to keep a certain amount of money in trust, depending on how many employees they have. They pool attorney and private investigator firms.

This way, they avoid W.C. premiums, and only pay when there is an accident. If they have no accidents that year, great. If they do, look out. Because these payments come out of the profit sharing and pensions. Workers who share in these benefits are highly motivated to punish the injured workers.

My employer places "Reward Posters" in the lunch room anytime a worker is injured, offering $1000 to anyone who can show that a certain injured employee is faking or exaggerating. They even go around the injured workers neighborhood with this offer. I know because I was injured due to repetitive use, torn achilles heal and tendonosis.

Nothing I could do about it, not my fault, but, oh THE HATE!

reply to post by windword


You could be onto something there. They do have a poster, from 2009 (I think) stating that they paid almost 2 million in claims for that year.

I wouldn't doubt that they are taking a beating in claims court as well, such as a negligence lawsuit.

I truly hope no one gets hurt at work, but my head is a constant swivel on the job. The moment you become complacent at this place, you become a statistic.

I'll keep working though until I find something else.

Even though I like the people at the company, the wage and how they profit share, I felt safer in Iraq than I do here. It's that fast paced. I'm getting older and my reflexes aren't what they used to be. It's definitely a younger persons job.